A Cross of Swords
by Ace Voxen
Summary: A humorous adventure starring Kingdom Hearts Leon and FFX-2's Paine.Not sure where it's going, but please read and tell me what you think, it should be very funny and entertaining. Enjoy
1. Default Chapter

It was a simple plan. A good plan, he told himself, there was no way it could go wrong. And just think of the reward! Whole worlds under his control! Well…under his Master's control, but-but surely the Master would repay him for all his hard work with some land of his own, and then maybe he wouldn't have to deal with these infernal machines anymore. Yes, it was definitely worth it.

Now-

_The worlds shimmered and glowed in the mystical water, concealing nothing from him. Using the Master's craft, he focused, searching for just the right individual. It had to be someone brave and pure of heart-a rare commodity these days. It was too peaceful, there were few true Warriors left. Those that did still survive wallowed in stagnation, spending their days sharpening obsolete weapons, and telling war stories about 'the good ol' days'._

_But wait…this showed promise. In a land untouched by the Heartless Wars, on a planet where the sky was ruled by airships and the people lived in a state of Calm, dwelt such a Warrior. His eyes narrowed, taking on a rodential shine. Yes…yes, she would be perfect. He tore his attention from the figure in front of him, fighting for her life against innumerable odds. His gaze came to the name of the planet where he would soon be going._

_It was called Spira._

All things considered, Paine thought her day was going rather well. She had slept well the night before, for once not having any nightmares, and so awoke refreshed and ready to face whatever the day thew at her. Which the day seemed to take as a challenge, because from the time she left the Travel Agency, where she was staying, to, well…_now_, she had done nothing but hack away at fiends and brigands.

Not that she was arguing-it was great to feel like she was back in the game. The only problem was: it was a game no one was playing anymore, and fighters like herself were becoming unnecessary, and actually a nuisance to the people of Spira.

She growled quietly as she cleanly sliced the head of the Lupus that had tried to jump her flank.

Apparently, the good people of Spira had forgotten all the previous times that they believed they didn't need fighters. Or the consequences of that false belief.

Still, everywhere she went, she was either met with pity or open hostility.

"_We don't need you anymore…stop stirring up trouble…why can't you train for a real job…_"

She was becoming angrier the more she thought about it. Luckily, there were plenty of fiends around for her to take her aggravation out on. Another Lupus, the Alpha male she could tell, snarled at her, it's blue-white coat bristling as it arched its back ready to strike. It bared its teeth at her, fangs glistening in the afternoon light, saliva dripping down its jowls. It reared back slightly, then leapt forward, going right for her throat. She dove out of the way, slicing behind her. She hit the Alpha Lupus, but it was only a grazing scratch, and it was instantly back on its feet. Its eyes met hers-ice blue meeting crimson red. A certain degree of understanding came into the canine's eyes. It was face to face with another kind of animal, one much more feral than itself.

Paine's breath was coming in shallow gasps, but her eyes never left the Lupus'. Finally, with a snarl and a bark, it swung its head and retreated, running at break neck speed in the opposite direction.

Paine's brow furrowed. That…wasn't supposed to happen. It had never happened before, and she didn't understand why it had happened just now. She quickly glanced around to see if there were any other enemies about, but the field which had moments ago been swarming with fiends was now strangely deserted. She suppressed a sigh of frustration.

She had always though that a peaceful and quiet life was what she wanted, but that had proved too difficult for her to grasp fully. She was at her core-a Warrior, and always would be. Besides, whenever she sat down quietly, she thought of _them_.

A few minutes later, she was miles away, having rented a speeder from a dark skinned Al Bhed. The clutch stuck, and there was an irritating grinding sound, but it was fast and she hadn't had to shell out a lot of gil for it. Gil was hard to come by, these days, there was no spheres left, and no one paid reward for the dispatching of fiends.

Despite her lack of income, Paine found herself in an alehouse without even thinking about it. She came to these more and more often as the days went on. She told herself it was to feel out the beat of the area, get a bead on the fiend population, but in reality, it was the last stop of all Warriors in this time of Eternal Calm.

Quietly, she looked around. On one wall was a vid-screen showing a Sphere Break game. She ignored that-she was never good at Sphere Break, and it reminded her too much of-

On another wall was a row of pictures, depicting various scenes from Spira's history. The Zanarkand War, the coming of Sin, the defeat of Sin…Paine stood up, keeping her ale mug in hand. _The Defeat of Sin at the hands of High Summoner Yuna_. Paine studied the picture intently, her eyes taking in every detail. On the left, Yuna's Guardians-_all but one, Paine knew_-watched nervously as the fearless Summoner danced, forever the epitome of grace and compassion, her features eternally soft and open. Paine felt emotion-raw and hot and without definition-well up within her.

"No," she whispered, her vision hazing. With a yell, she smashed her ale mug into the picture, the glass shattering from both, and the picture tearing. Immediately, she was set upon by four burly individuals who bore her to the floor. She managed to shake two of them off, but the other two managed to get in a few lucky punches, and she knew if she didn't get out, she would be rendered unconscious. The fighter in her took over, and she became little more than a wild animal, kicking here, biting there, doing anything to get away. She was bereft of her sword, having left it, wrapped up on her speeder. Now she wished she had it so she could-but, no that would be wrong, how could she even consider actually killing these people? They were people for Yevon's sake! She went still, and her attackers believed her to be defeated. Which in a way, she was, but she had lost only to herself. Silently, as blood ran down her nose and pooled on the wooden floor she was lying on, Paine looked inside herself, and found she didn't much care for what she saw. It was darkness, without form or boundaries, growing, trying to take over. She knew she had to fight it, but she was so tired, she just wanted…to…rest…

_There was the tunnel, the same as she saw it every night._

_Wait, she called, but they couldn't hear her. Why hadn't she asked them to wait then? Rikku went in first, the sound of her child-like laughter echoing off the walls. Yuna turned, smiled at her, then disappeared into the blackness._

_No!_

She tried to sit up but found she could not. She hurt everywhere, especially her face. It was dark, and she wondered if her attackers had thrown her into a prison. She felt warm.

Her silver hair snaked over her red eyes, the locks feeling wet and coarse. Paine looked down, trying to get her bearings. She was wrapped in a blanket, but strapped down by leather binders. She almost started hyperventilating; she had never liked being confined, that was one reason she had always wanted an airship, to be in open space.

_Stay focused_, she told herself, and forced herself to relax.

"Ah, I see you're awake," a voice in the darkness called. Paine had learned early on to read people by their tones and pitch. Without even seeing the speaker, she could tell he was a coward, in a place he didn't want to be, but was enjoying lording his superior position over her. She also knew she wouldn't like him.

"Who are you? What do you want?" she demanded. A nervous chuckle was her reply.

"I'm going to let you out now, but you have to promise to behave," the voice said, in a tone that was probably meant to sound soothing but just came off as incredibly patronizing.

"Let me out now, and maybe I won't hurt you," she answered. There was a pause, then she felt her bonds being loosened. She turned her head, and found herself facing a grotesque bionic _thing_.

"Machina?" she whispered, puzzled.

"Ah, do you like my little robots?" the unseen speaker asked. Paine was not familiar with the word, but didn't reply. The machines did their task quickly, and in a few moments, Paine could sit up. Her back popped in several places, and still felt excruciatingly sore.

Now that she was up, she was able to see a bit better. The room was still dark, but a dull brown light was coming from her left. There she could see the silhouette of a man, hunkered down in chair, by a vid-screen. The screen turned on, giving his face an unnatural greenish tint.

Paine looked down and gave herself a cursory inspection. There didn't seem to be any broken bones, only a few scratches and bruises. She looked back at her 'host'. He had a sharp nose, small eyes, and a full head of fine black hair. She doubted he was much taller than her, but this might also have to do with the fact that he slouched terribly. He didn't seem especially young or old, but he was always looking around as if expecting something to just pop out at him

"Okay, so what do you want with me?" she asked again, rubbing her wrists.

The man swung his chair over near her. Instinctively, she pulled back.

"How would you like to go on a real adventure? Not just wandering from town to town getting into bar fights, but a true fight with real danger. You were once a Gullwing right?"

Paine's eyes narrowed. It wasn't something she advertised, but she wasn't going to lie about it. She nodded, silently.

"Surely you recall the epic battles you fought during that time?"

"We didn't fight for the sake of fighting," Paine informed him, curtly. He nodded vigorously, barely hearing her.

"Of course, of course, but tell me…don't you ever get bored with these little skirmishes?"

Paine didn't answer. He leaned forward, relishing in the moment.

"Don't you ever get tired of being mistreated everywhere you go? Don't you miss being a hero?"

Paine jumped off the table.

"I never thought of myself as a hero," she muttered. She started to walk of, though truth be told, she had no idea where she was going, or where she was.

"What about an explorer? Would you like to do that? Travel on a ship to whole other worlds?"

Paine stiffened. To fly was her greatest joy, something that hadn't changed over the years. But she shook her head.

"I've been everywhere on Spira. There's not a nook on it I'm not familiar with."

She could feel him smile behind her. She turned, crossing her arms over her chest, and giving him her most steely gaze. He cringed, then smiled again, so broadly it looked like his face might split.

"But haven't you ever wanted to see other worlds?"

Paine laughed, harshly.

"What are you talking about? There are no other worlds."

He cocked his head at her.

"Are you _sure _about that?"

An hour later after he'd filled her in on the mission parameters, and she had eaten a filling, if somewhat tasteless meal, a thought suddenly seemed to occur to him.

"Wait. I take it this means, you don't have a space worthy ship."

Paine shook her head. He-_he had called himself Mirt_-snapped his fingers.

"Oh, well. I guess we're just going to have to find you a spaceship pilot."

A few worlds away, in a bar very similar to the one Paine was rescued from, another fight was brewing. If the seven guys who were planning on ganging up on the lone figure at the corner table had known his name, they would have left him alone. If they had recognized the Lion insignia he wore around his chest, they would have bought him a drink. But they didn't. What they did know was that they were drunk (but were choosing to ignore this little fact) and he had beat them at a game of cards a half hour ago.

The figure was a young man, tall and strongly built, sitting quietly with a mug that he'd been slowly draining. His hair was dark brown and reached below his shoulders. His eyes were keen, a deep blue that showed more wisdom than could be accumulated in one so young. His most other distinguishing feature was a scar that started above his right eye, slashed down across his nose, and ended below his left eye. A long package rested on the seat next to him, always close by.

The leader of the lynch squad was a huge monster of a man, known as Rut, though no one remembered why. He had bet heavily on a hand that he was sure he had in the bag, only to see it go down in smoke at the stranger's hand.

The stranger looked up as the men approached him, appraised them all silently, then went back to his drink.

"I think you cheated," Rut said simply. The stranger said nothing, just picked up his mug and drained the last of it, taking his time. Then, slowly, he stood up. The men, though they outnumbered him by six, backed up. He seemed to unfold, he was so tall and imposing, and he exuded that quiet confidence that they should have taken as a warning.

"Listen, mister, I don't want any trouble. But I don't appreciate being called a cheat or a liar. Why don't I get you a drink, and we'll forget this whole thing?" His voice was low, and he spoke in an even voice, almost a monotone, but there was an underlying aggression that Rut and his inebriated friends should have paid attention to.

Rut half turned and looked ready to back off.

"Okay, okay. How about-"

Instead of finishing the sentence, he swung at the stranger. If the blow had landed it would have likely broken some bones, but instead Rut's fist met only air. He looked around, confused. A tap on his shoulder, and a gasp from his friends made him spin around. The last thing he saw was the stranger's fist, right before it broke his nose. One of his buddies leapt at the stranger, wielding an ale bottle. The stranger blocked his blow, and flipped him over his back, dropping him on the table, which buckled under his weight. Two more flew at the stranger, but he just had to back up and they, not seeing very well, smacked into each other. The stranger grabbed the head of another companion and snapped it against his knee, rewarded by a gratifying crunch. A quick elbow to the stomach of one and a single punch to the other and the fight was over. It had taken less than forty-five seconds for him to take them all down.

Quietly, he picked up the package on the chair, which was the only piece of furniture still intact in that section of alehouse. A glint of silver, a flash of a lion's jaw that was all anyone could see. The other patrons gave the stranger a wide-berth. He threw a few coins at the barman as he passed, and headed to the doorway.

"Hey, hey wait!" the barman called. The stranger sighed, then turned around, his head tilted to one side and stared at the barman.

"What's your name? I mean, come on, you trashed my bar, you could at least tell me your name."

The stranger looked at the floor for a while, half shrugged, then turned around. He took a step forward before the barman called,

"Hey!"

"It's Leon," the stranger threw over his shoulder, again, so quiet, you thought you'd have to strain to hear him, yet everyone did. There was a gasp from the other patrons, and the Gunblade Wielder left, the sounds of indiscreet murmurs echoing behind him.

_Leon._


	2. Chapter 2

(Author's Note: I have never played FFVIII or FFVII, so if I mix some things up, I ask that you bear with me, because I'm tweaking the universe a little. If my references to characters like Cloud, Aeryth or Yuffie bother anyone, just tell me why and I'll see what I can do. Other than that, here is just a transition before we just headlong into the mission. Enjoy)

Love at first sight is not possible. This doesn't apply to hatred. The first impression the Warrior got from the Gunblade wielder was…nothing. He was leaning against a wall, his head down, features closed.

"Leon! There you are, my boy," Mirt yelled out, as he and Paine entered the hanger. Paine watched the stranger closely: he barely stiffened, though he gave off an ominous aura as if he was always hidden in shadow. Mirt seemed oblivious to the mutual dislike between his would-be heroes.  
"Paine, this is the pilot I was talking about. Leon, this is the Warrior."

Leon pushed himself off the wall, and gave Paine a thorough inspection, eyes heavily lidded. The first thing he said to her was:  
"What happened to your face?" She was sure he was partially joking but she didn't want to discuss her many bruises with a stranger.  
"What happened to yours?" she shot back, keeping one arm wrapped around herself and the other pointing at his long scar. His eyes narrowed to azure pinpoints. She arched an eyebrow. At the same time they turned to Mirt and said: "No way."  
Mirt's jaw dropped, "What?" he demanded, dumbstruck.

"I'm not shuttling around little school girls carrying swords."

Paine bristled and snarled at him, not even deigning to give a worded answer. Leon gave a half smirk, one side of his mouth lifting imperceptibly. At that moment, there was nothing Paine would have liked more than to wipe the stupid smile off his face. She held herself in check, wishing she could escalate things, but knowing she shouldn't. He decided to provoke her further however, by pointing at her sword and asking:  
"Do you even know how to use that thing?"

"I know which end to hold," she replied, clipped, but sure, every word dripping with the implication that he wouldn't. Leon clenched his jaw, then reached behind himself without looking and pulled out an odd looking blade. It would have seemed like a normal sword, unless one noticed the hilt, which resembled a shiny silver pistol, with black handle.

The threat of confrontation hung in the air, so strong, you could almost smell it. Paine held her sword: silver-black, the symbol of a menacing skull emblazoned, grinning-close to her body, the hilt by her face. Leon took a relaxed stance, the gunblade resting neatly on his shoulder. Mirt saw the problem growing and ran between the two combatants.

"Now, hold on there. Wait just a minute, I won't have you fighting-it solves nothing."

It was the most reasonable they had heard him, certainly the most persuasive. Gone was the patronizing tone and condescending attitude. Now his voice carried an air of authority, not one to be ignored. The two fighters almost snapped to attention. Mirt took a deep breath and straightened his jacket.

"Now, Leon, how long before we can take off?" he asked, reasonably. Leon's eyes never left Paine's face, as if he was sure she would take advantage of a lax in his attention.  
"I just need to refuel," he replied, "Just give me till the end of the day, and I'll be ready."

Mirt all but physically pushed Paine out of the hangar. She sent one final glare over her shoulder but the strange young man was already gone.

In truth, Leon could have left right then, but he felt there were other kinds of preparation needed.

The first thing he did after entering his ship was sit down in the pilots chair. He had sat, plopped, collapsed and every other way imaginable ended up in this chair. He swiveled it around and focused on a screen to see if he had any new messages.

The answer popped up, but it didn't surprise him. It was from Yuffie. She wrote him almost every day, giving updates on the happenings of Traverse Town. Silently, he listened to her high ebullient voice. Some part of him still missed Yuffie terribly, they had made a good team. Apparently Aeryth and Cloud had had their baby. Yuffie didn't know if it was a girl or a boy, for some terrible reason, they weren't letting her in to see it. Leon snorted and shook his head. That didn't surprise him any, Yuffie had a way of getting in your face, but she was not one to be put down. She promised she would update him as soon as possible. Yuffie never wondered why Leon never answered her, she just droned away, ignoring the question of whether he wanted to know or not, if he even cared. Yuffie always saw the best in everyone. He guessed he should be happy for Cloud and Aeryth, they had worked hard to be together. But to be honest, Leon just didn't care enough. The only other message came out garbled and indecipherable. Leon let it go. Junk message, no doubt.

Leon looked around his small ship. There was another seat-it had been Yuffie's-that he'd been meaning to take out, but had never really gotten around to. Other than that there was no furniture, nothing unnecessary. It was always clean because Leon liked order, and simplicity. Complications were…well, complicating.

_Like this mission._

He ran a hand over his face. It had sounded like a good idea, and it would get him off this backwater planet, but…something didn't feel right. And it wasn't just the girl, whoever she was. Paine. That's what Mirt had called her. What kind of name was that anyway? He shook his head. This was not helping anything. It crossed his mind that he didn't need to take this mission, but on the other hand…what else could he do? It would be just one more fight, one more night, again and again and again.

He resolutely got up and stepped outside the ship. It wasn't pretty to look at, but it belonged to him and no one else, and therefore was special. And he didn't want that infernal woman walking all over it.

Leon didn't consider himself a chauvinist pig. He didn't disrespect anyone based on their gender, but on their abilities. Respect was hard gained from him, by anyone. Still, he didn't think he was a-

"A masagonistic arrogant-" several other more colorful words wanted to flood out, but Paine brought herself back under control. Actually, it wasn't so much Leon that bothered her but the fact that she hadn't gotten to fight him. It looked like it might actually have been challenging, a welcome change. Still-

"But you will take the mission, right?" Mirt sounded so hopeful, and had a face that reminded Paine of a small fluffy dog. Inwardly she sighed, but knew there was no way she was going to pass this up. She nodded, slowly, carefully. Mirt clapped his hands together.  
"Excellent. Shall we see if he's ready?"

Paine raised her hands in a gesture of mock surrender.  
"Do I have any choice?" she asked.

Mirt thought about that for a while.  
"Not really," he replied. Paine rolled her eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

It was undoubtedly, one of the most beautiful things Paine had ever seen. And she had beheld the sacred Hot Springs of Gagazet, the beauty of the Farplane, and more memorable sights than most people saw in three lifetimes. But the minute she saw the space ship that was to shuttle her across the universe, she knew she was in love. It wasn't that it was sleek or shiny. In fact, if she had been asked why she loved it, she would have just shrugged, and that would have been all the answer you could expect. But love it she did.

Leon watched her as she took in every detail. He was looking down at her, considering he was four inches taller, but he could easily see her face. As she walked around the ship, Leon went to make final arrangements with Mirt.

He too was watching the Warrior in her enraptured state.

"I'm sure she's very charming, once you get to know her," he offered. Leon snorted, not facing him. Mirt looked at him sideways.  
"You know…being in space, those cramped quarters, just the two of you-" he waggled his eyebrows suggestively. Leon just had to turn and look at him, and the expression on his face was enough to make Mirt reconsider finishing the sentence. Mirt gave a nervous cough and turned back, not wanting to see Leon's eyes anymore. Leon groaned inwardly. Working for an untrained yellow-bellied moron, and working _with _a cold haughty slip of a girl was not what he considered a good time

"I guess you're right. It'd be like trying to warm an ice cube."

As if she could hear them, Paine turned and looked in their direction, her dark red eyes narrowed. Obviously, she didn't like being watched and dissected, even if she couldn't understand what they were saying. She walked around to the other side of the spaceship, running her gloved hand along the hull.

Leon shook his head.

"No. It would be like trying to embrace a razor-sharp blade."

Mirt nodded, as if he too had thought of that, but when he went to comment, he found himself alone.

Paine was trying to find the way to make the metal steps descend so she could enter. She felt along the cold silver surface-dark silver, almost the color of her hair- but found nothing. Of its own accord the door slid open. She turned around. Leon was leaning against a pile of crates.

"You just have to know how to talk to her," he informed Paine, a shadow of a smile gracing his mouth. She clenched her jaw, but wouldn't reply. He went in first, taking the steps two at a time. She entered more slowly, her head swiveling around, absorbing her surroundings. As mentioned, it wasn't a large ship, in fact it only had two parts: the cockpit and the hold/cargo area.

Without commenting, or asking permission, Paine sat down in the navigator's chair. Leon spun around, and stared at her, a flurry of emotions playing across his storm blue eyes.

"What?" Paine asked, frowning. He held so still, he closely resembled a statue. Paine looked down at her seat, and then slowly began to rise.

"I'm sorry, I just thought-"

Leon snapped out of his reverie.

"No. No, it's fine. I…just hadn't thought… no one has sat there for a while, that's all." His brow furrowed, and he turned back to the pilot's console. Paine sat down again, puzzled at the chain of events. When Leon spoke again, his voice was cool and steady, a sharp contrast to the unsure tone he carried before.

"You'd better strap yourself in, take off can be a little harrowing."

"I'm sure I can handle it," Paine replied, equally sharp. He gave her the half smile of a person who is saying inside their head 'I know something you don't, and I'm going to _really _enjoy watching you find out'.

The spaceship lifted off the hangar floor, and glided through the open doors. It rose steadily and smoothly into the sky. Paine wished that there were a window besides the front one, so that she could see the planet. She didn't even know its name. But looking through the front meant getting close to him, and Paine decided she could live without the knowledge. Leon ignored her, doing systems check, follow-ups, and so forth.

"Okay, here we go," he murmured, though Paine knew he wasn't talking to her.

The spaceship blasted, the universe splintered, and everything was darkness.

Back down on the planet, Mirt smirked to himself.

"That was easier than I'd thought it would be."

"_Don't be so sure_," a voice hissed from the shadows. No, rephrase that: _the shadows themselves_ hissed. Mirt stiffened so fast and so hard, you could have used him for a ruler. The hairs on his arms and neck…heck, on his head, rose.

"M-Master. Did you watch that whole exchange?"

The shadows hissed in such a way as to mock a snicker.

"_You chose well, my humble servant. Very well. Now, we shall see how the drama plays out_."

There was no way to tell that the Master had left, only the absence of the prickling sensation. Mirt relaxed, just a little. He had to learn to be more careful in the future, the Master was not one to tolerate insubordination, even the suggestion of it. When he was _absolutely sure_ that the Master had left, Mirt's shoulders sagged, and he wondered where the nearest alehouse was.

Paine opened her eyes. She was still in the navigator's chair, though she was grasping the arms tightly. She remembered to start breathing again. She let go of the arms, and focused on relaxing. Defiantly, she looked to Leon. He was obviously disappointed that she hadn't flown out of her seat.  
Without commenting, he turned back to steering the ship, and ignored her altogether.

And hour later when he looked back, he found her deeply involved with something on the screen.

"What are you doing?" he asked, genuinely curious. She looked sideways at him, but didn't turn her head.

"I'm studying all the worlds you've been to."

Leon swiveled the pilot's chair.  
"So you've really never left your planet? What was it called, Spiral?"

"Spira," she bit off, "And no, I'd never left before. I didn't even know there was any reason to leave."

He leaned back in his chair, hooked his hands together behind his head and contemplated this.

"So your world wasn't affected by the Heartless Wars?"

Paine was blank. She obviously had no idea what he was talking about.

"You _have_ heard of the Heartless Wars, right?"

Blank. Nothing. Leon was incredulous.

"What did you _do _the whole time on Mirt's ship?" he inquired.

Paine shrugged.

"I was unconscious half the time, and the other half he spent giving me the mission."

Paine knew he wanted to ask why she was unconscious but he wasn't going to. And she wasn't going to tell him. Silence ruled.

"So…what were the Heartless Wars?" Paine asked.

"There is no 'were'. It's are. What _are_ the Heartless Wars." He spoke with experience, and Paine could sense an underlying story. But again, one wouldn't ask and the other wouldn't tell.

"Don't worry," Leon said, as if he thought she would, "I highly doubt we'll come across any."

If he didn't know better, she would have almost seemed disappointed.

Paine looked back at the vid-screen, and studied the words on the screen. After a long while, she surprised him by asking, quietly:

"Have you really been to _all_ these worlds?"

Leon half turned his head but turned back to the front window before she could see his face.

"It's not really a big deal. Most worlds are the same."

Paine seemed to accept this, but she didn't stop reading.

Inevitably, the problem arose, as all parties involved knew it would. The ship (Leon had never gotten around to telling Paine whether it had a name or not) was only built to hold one, so there was only one bed, if it could even be called that. It was just a cot stuffed between crates. Paine was afraid to ask, since she didn't want to appear the kind that worried about that kind of thing. She had slept in worse places, but before it had only been her and her sword.

Of course, there was no night or day in space, it was all the same, but the ship had an onboard clock, that told them had they been on any decent planet it would be very late.

Paine felt weariness creep in. She was strong, but she hadn't slept or eaten for several hours, and they didn't seem to be stopping any time soon.

Leon flipped a switch and stood up. Paine frowned.

"What are you doing?" she demanded. He looked around.

"I put it on autopilot," he answered, as if it was a simple manner.

"But, what if something hits us?"

Leon laughed, deep and rich. Paine was actually a little shocked, she didn't consider him capable of such an action.

"Don't worry, lady Warrior. If anything gets near this ship, I'll know." He patted the ceiling lovingly. Still chuckling, he disappeared into the hold. Paine waited. And waited a little longer. Minutes ticked by.

Finally deciding that he wasn't coming back, Paine knelt down on the floor of the cockpit, and stretched herself out. It was steel grating, cold and uncomfortable, but she could live without comfort. She held her sword close by. Years of sleeping with it close had taught her how not to cut herself, or even worry about it.

She closed her eyes, and dreamt of tunnels and screaming.


	4. Chapter 4

Paine sat up, screaming, "Yuna!"

It was dark, but warm. She glanced around, startled, not remembering where she was. There was the tunnel, and the dark and the-

Memories flooded in, and she caught up with herself. Then she tensed. This wasn't the cockpit of the small silver craft, it was the hold. She was lying on the cot in the cargo area.

Quickly, she reviewed the activities of the 'night' before. No where did she remember getting up and coming here, which meant-

Paine stood up, and walked out of the cargo hold, leaving the door open.

Leon was sitting in the pilot's chair, not facing her, though undoubtedly he had heard her yell. Heat and color crept up the Warrior's neck at her momentary loss of control.

"I wondered how long it was going to take you. Got up this morning, nearly fell over your useless carcass," Leon said, a hint of nastiness coloring his tone. Several colorful and equally nasty retorts floated through Paine's head, each more violent than the last, but she held it in.

"When did you move me?" she asked, instead. Leon shrugged, the chain around his neck tinkling.

"Not long ago. I got sick of stepping over you."

Paine looked back through the empty doorway. The impression she had made on the bed showed she'd been there for quite a while. She considered pressing the matter further, but decided it was futile.

She stared out the window for a while, her eyes unfocused. Now that she had studied it a bit more, she could see that space wasn't totally black. It had overtones of green and purple, and colors that shouldn't exist, yet somehow did.

They passed in a comfortable, or at least unstrained silence, with Paine continuing to study the history of the universe she didn't even know was out there, on the navigator's console.

"So, what are these Heartless Wars?" she asked, at length, her curiosity overcoming her brevity (not to mention her strong desire to not speak to Leon). He spun around, stretching his legs out in front of him.

"Not sure where to begin-" he started. And then he told her.

He told her of a young boy, given the unenviable task of saving the universe from a dark force of creatures called 'Heartless'. He recalled how these monsters of darkness almost ran over all words, until this boy-the 'Keyblade Master'-sealed them in, using a magical blade. He pushed back his hair.

"It should have ended there, but it didn't. The wars went on."

"How do you know?" Paine asked, leaning forward. He shrugged.

"If the worlds had been completely sealed, they would have been separated, and this ship would be useless, space would be just that-space. So if the walls aren't up, the Heartless must not be totally gone."

Paine leaned back.

"Tell me about the Keyblade Master."

Leon laughed again, completely sincere.

"He was just a kid. I had a lot of trouble believing so much power would be granted to one so young and inexperienced, and yet-" he paused, then shook his head, still smiling, "He just had a way of making you believe. You really believed he could do it. You trusted him."

Paine went very still. She'd known someone like that once. Leon watched the transformation take place. One minute she was there, the next, despite the fact it looked like she was sitting there, she was really far away.

"You know what I'm talking about?"

Paine stood up, and walked forward. He moved to the side so she could look closer out the window.

"I let someone in once," she said, quietly, staring out the window into the blackness. He wasn't even sure she was talking to him anymore, and he had no reply.

"Two of them. I trusted them."  
This was significant, it was important to her.

"What happened to them?" he asked, standing up and going to lean up against a wall with one shoulder, getting into a more relaxed position. She turned and looked at him as if seeing him for the first time. Their eyes were locked, concealing everything, as if letting it be seen would destroy it _and _them. What _'it' _was though…

And then just for a moment, he found a crack, a chink in the armor that gave him just a glimpse. A glimpse of pain, and something else…

"Did they betray you?"

There was a flash-as bright and as brief as lightning-in her eyes, then they died again to dull red embers.

"Yes, they betrayed me."

The exchange would have been over anyway, even if the ship's alarms hadn't all gone off at once. The ground rumbled beneath them, leaving them off balance. Paine fell back into the navigator's chair.

"What's happening?" she demanded, gripping the arms.

"Good question," Leon muttered. He watched the screen as several red dots went 'blip'.

"Are we under attack?" Paine inquired.

"I don't know, why don't you get out and ask them," Leon suggested. Paine shot him a dark look before asking:

"Well, do you have anything to fight back with?"

If he'd been an adolescent person, the word 'Duh' probably would have found its way into Leon's mouth, but he prided himself on his self-control, so he stayed silent. Instead, he pushed a button that was partially hidden on his console. There was a whirring sound, and a different control stick came out. It had a red button on the top. Paine didn't need to ask what it was for.

Leon's forehead creased in concentration, as he focused on his invisible target. Suddenly, from the left, a white-hot laser blast flew towards them. Leon jerked the ship sideways, just barely escaping. He then pitched it sideways, and turned it.

"Now let's see what we're dealing with here," he said. The four ships that loomed in their view were obviously not pleasure cruisers. Each boasted mounted lasers, and torpedo launchers. They looked heavily armored, and not at all friendly.

"Friends of yours?" Paine couldn't help but ask. Leon snarled in answer, still concentrating. The enemy ships launched a volley of fire, but Leon managed to sneak under their attacks. Most of them anyway. The ship jostled and jerked, pitching back and forth. Luckily, Paine had put up with Brother's driving for years, and was use to it. Being shot at from the depths of space though…that was a new experience.

A direct hit managed to score on the front of the hull, and a red klaxon began to sound.

"This may be a shot in the dark, but that's a bad thing, yes?" Paine was checking. For answer, Leon said:

"We need to land somewhere. I hate emergency landings, but I don't think we have a choice."

The next few moments passed in a kind of ethereal haze for Paine (and Leon too for that matter), as they entered the atmosphere of the closest planet. The ship jerked around so much that focusing on anything was impossible. Paine's eyes felt like they were turning inside out, and she had to try hard to stay conscious.

The alarms wailed as the ship plummeted into the unknown…


	5. Chapter 5

_This time the dream was different. There was no tunnel, no screaming, and no pain. Instead, there was just her and Nooj, Baralai and Gippal. They were laughing, joyous in the face of adversity. She blinked. Something was wrong. Gippal's face changed, morphing, until it was Rikku standing there. Yuna too replaced Baralai. Nooj disappeared altogether. They were still laughing, their eyes shining. Yuna and Rikku stepped into each other, becoming one. The voice changed, deepened until the being had morphed into Leon, still laughing. Her eyes widened, and he held out his hand. Should she take it? Why was he laughing? Before she could answer, the ground began to shake. She jerked all over the place, and there was a voice yelling, 'Paine!'_

"Paine! Dammit, wake up!"

Paine opened her eyes to find herself staring into two deep blue pools. Leon had his hand raised, as if he had been about to slap her awake.

"I'm here, I'm okay."

There was a growling noise somewhere, though Paine couldn't tell from her horizontal position where it was coming from.

"But we may not be," Leon answered, gravely. Paine sat up. It looked like they were in some kind of forest. It reminded her a little bit of Macalania, but with more greens instead of blues. And it was significantly louder.

"Where are we?" she asked, instant clarity coming to her, as if she'd been dashed with cold water.

"I'm not sure." It was the second time Leon had ever sounded uncertain, and it made Paine very worried.

A shape emerged from the darkness of the trees. Paine's eyes widened.

"By Yevon, " she whispered, "It's a fiend."

Leon shook his head.

"No. It's a Heartless!"

High in his airship, above another planet, Mirt poured himself another drink. Surreptitiously he looked around the room. It was dark in here, too dark. His glass was halfway to his mouth when a blood-curling shriek split the air. 

"_You blundering imbecile! You forgot about the Guardians!" _a hiss that could melt iron came from the shadows. Mirt trembled, and almost dropped his glass.

"My-my lord, I thought you said the Guardians weren't going to be a problem…" his voice trailed off as it occurred to him that contradicting the Master would not improve his life expectancy much. He gulped loudly, and sat down. The shadows writhed and twisted, contorting into shapes that should not be seen by mortal eyes. Just before Mirt passed away into sweet unconsciousness, his mind floated to the two Warriors, wherever they may be. Inwardly, though he wasn't sure why, he hoped they survived.

In fact it was neither a Heartless or a fiend, but considering that both fighters had experience really only with those two, perhaps it was understandable why their first conclusion was wrong. The creature that lumbered towards them would be hard to describe because it had few if any distinguishing marks. It was completely gray and had next to no figure. There was a kind of lump on top that resembled a head, and two vague arm-shaped appendages at the side. Two legs allowed it to walk, though from the way it moved, it seemed like this wasn't its natural gait.

All in all, it looked like someone had heard of humans and wanted to make on of their own, but had never actually seen one, only heard a description. Paine thought it actually looked rather pitiful. The only thing the face-if it could be called such-had was a gaping hole which was apparently suppose to look like a mouth, which was open in a silent and never ending scream.

Paine stood up, a wave of vertigo washing over her, but she purposefully pushed it aside. There could be no question as to the thing's intention as it flew at them, one arm raised. Before their incredulous eyes, one hand lengthened until it sported vicious looking talons. Without thinking Leon pushed Paine out of the way as the creature leapt, aiming straight for Leon's face. He fell backward from the weight, but managed to keep the thing's claws away from his face. Paine wasted no time. As soon as she could get up, she brought her sword down sharply against the creature's back. _It didn't even break the skin._ Paine stared at her sword in horror. The thing hadn't even flinched. What her strike _had _accomplished though was turn the monster's attention to her. It hissed, revealing rows of needle like fangs within its black maw. It snapped at her, but hit only her armor. The temporary distraction allowed Leon to pull free his Gunblade. The monster half turned to focus more on Paine, and in that moment Leon struck. With a grunt, he managed to turn his blade straight up, skewering the strange gray thing. It sunk down, still clawing at both Leon and Paine simultaneously. Then suddenly, as if the thought had just occurred to it, the creature looked down to the blade that was now sticking out of its back. With a mournful cry that split the air, it exploded into a cloud of gray dust.

Coughing and choking, Paine waved a hand in front of her face. She'd been close to the thing before it disappeared and had gotten its...its _essence _in her mouth. When her vision cleared, she looked at Leon who was still lying on his back, his sword sticking straight up.

"Are you okay?" she asked, briskly, her brow furrowed. In answer, he got up, brushing the dust off his dark pants and jacket.

"Let's get off this rock," he muttered, heading off in a seemingly random direction. Paine followed without question. She was sure Leon knew where he had left the ship. Her confidence was justified when a loud hum was heard.

"Someone's trying to hail the ship!" Leon threw over his shoulder, breaking into a dead run. Paine had to hurry to keep up with him, but she managed all rightt. Without pausing, Leon raced up the metal grating into the now heavily damaged ship. By the time Paine had entered, she could hear a voice saying:

"Leon? Leon, are you there?" It was a high voice, obviously female, that sounded very young.

"Yeah, Yuffie, I'm here," Leon answered, out of breath. His arms rested on the console, as he hung his head, trying to catch up with himself

"Where have you been? I've been trying to call you for like _ever_!" The voice painfully reminded Paine of Rikku, with the same chirpy cheerfulness. The face on the screen though was very different.

"We, uh…ran into a little problem," Leon replied, evasively.

"We?!" Yuffie demanded. She caught sight of Paine. She was a young looking girl, though Paine knew better than to judge just by that. She wore a bandana (again, Paine felt the prick of recognition), and had short black hair. She smiled broadly, and her eyebrows were raised as she glanced sideways at Leon.

"_Leon_…keeping secrets are we?" she asked lightly. Leon didn't answer. Yuffie caught Paine's expression, and immediately was serious.

"What?"

Paine blinked.

"Oh, nothing. You just remind me of someone."

Silence reigned in the cabin for a while, before Yuffie asked, again, light and airy.

"So, are you going to introduce me to your friend or what, Squall?"

Paine saw Leon stiffen all along his back. Immediately, Yuffie tried to cover her mistake.

"I mean Leon." She looked at Paine. "I'm the great ninja Yuffie!" she introduced herself, waving and laughing. Leon spun around and left the ship, leaving Paine alone with the endlessly happy Yuffie.

"Paine," she replied shortly, her gaze following Leon as he disappeared.

"Aw, don't mind him. He'll cool down. So, are you keeping my seat warm?"

It took Paine a little while to realize what she meant.

"Oh, you mean you were the navigator."

"Yup!" Yuffie nodded vigorously. Paine quickly ran over the events that had made them temporarily stranded on the strange planet. Yuffie listened silently, nodding at times, outright guffawing at others. Paine found that, against all her better judgement she really did like the young ninja. She had a way of making you think everything would be all right. They talked-that is, Yuffie talked and Paine tried not to get a headache, and then Yuffie signed off. Before she disappeared, Paine heard her say:

"Take care of the big guy for me, will ya?" but she was gone before Paine could answer. Even if she could, Paine didn't think there was anything she could say.

Outside, Leon was inspecting the damage to his craft. The crash had completely torn off one wing, and the engine was a shred. He kicked a tree in frustration. As he walked around the ship, he wondered what Yuffie could possibly find to discuss with Paine. There couldn't be two more different girls in his opinion. Eventually, exhausted from the cash and the fight with the…whatever it had been, Leon sat down on a conveniently placed rock. But when he closed his eyes he saw her. Her face rose up in his memory. He would have smiled, until her death came roaring in, ripping up all the goodness, until there was nothing but black despair.

He barely heard Paine walk out until she was right in front of him. He looked up at her startled. The sun was against her back, making it hard to see her face in the shadows.

"Is it fixable?" she asked. Her voice sounded like it was coming from far away.

"Leon?" Paine looked concern. His eyes seemed really bloodshot. She wondered when the last time he'd slept was. He blinked a few times as if coming out of a trance.

"I'm fine." His voice hardened. "We can't get off the ground, without some new parts. But," he continued, looking around, "I'm not even sure what world we're on, or if it has civilization." He ran a hand over his face. Paine looked up. The sky was darkening, and it looked like a storm was rolling in. Leon followed her gaze. He growled in exasperation.

"As if things couldn't get worse."

And then it started to rain.


	6. Chapter 6

(Author's note: Sorry I hadn't posted sooner, I wasn't sure if anyone was still interested, and I had finals in school. Now, I'll try to get at least two chapters out every week, but I can make no gurantees. I apologize for the shortness of this chapter, I'll try and get something more substansive off soon. Thanks to everyone who wrote a review and encouraged me, I wouldn't do this without you)

Chapter 6:

It is a common, well-known fact that anytime the words 'It couldn't get any worse' is said into the air…it will undoubtedly do just that. What this meant for Leon, and a now highly annoyed Paine, was that a torrent of relentless rain down-poured on them, making it difficult to see in front of them, let alone figure out exactly where they were going. This didn't stop them from trying, and they did, though it was not without its own problems. The sky was darkening rapidly, and the two warriors were soaked within minutes.

Leon led, hacking at forest foliage with his Gunblade. Paine followed, shooting psychic knives into his back. She was seething, but it was a waste of energy to speak, besides over the rain, very little could be heard anyway.

An hour later, they cleared the gray-green forest and beheld what could be loosely described as a 'town'. As soon as they were within view, Leon groaned loudly. Paine's brow furrowed.

"What is it?"

He glanced back, as if he had forgotten she was there.

"Nothing, it's just…I've been here before." The way he said it, made her certain that they wouldn't be happy to see him.

"Is it going to be a problem, Leon?" she asked, casually, handling her sword. He considered for a while before answering.

"No, it shouldn't be. Just follow my lead, and…don't use my name." With that, the conversation was apparently over, because he started off again, slipping his lion head pendant beneath his wet shirt.

The town itself was nothing special, a large fence surrounding a small collection of houses, and a few larger buildings. The larger buildings consisted of a tavern, a blacksmiths shop, a butcher's slaughterhouse, and a few indiscernible structures. Leon made a beeline for the tavern, something that didn't surprise Paine in the lease. They had to walk through a courtyard, an open space with a large fire pit, fully lit, the only real light in the darkness. A few figures stood around, warming their hands. Their heads were covered, but they raised their faces as Leon and Paine walked by, and followed the two with their eyes. Paine felt her skin crawl, but tried not to let her discomfort show. Leon seemed totally at ease, but she saw a muscle in his neck twitch, and he was always looking back and forth.

The tavern was just as Paine would have expected it, dark, warm and filled to the ceiling with smoke. It was obviously the center of the town's social and business activity. It took a while for them to find the 'reception area' although Leon seemed fairly familiar with the layout.

The man behind the counter eyed them warily, a thick cigar hanging from his stained mouth. His first words were truly the mark of a creative genius…

"Who are ya, and whaddya want?"

Paine opened her mouth to answer, but Leon shot her a warning glance.

"I'm Lance and this is my sister…Penny."

Paine stared at him in total disbelief. The Tavernkeeper looked them both over, hardly convinced, but he didn't look interested enough to press the issue. He handed them a rusty, well used key and jerked his thumb up the stairs, muttering, 'Room 23', before moving on to the next customer. 'Lance' bowed respectfully, then took his sweet, if tense sister up the wooden steps. They just barely managed avoiding a large bar fight, which cumulated in four injured, and seven more being kicked out. Lucky for them, although, if they had found out just what the argument was about, no doubt they would have both jumped in, swords drawn. So perhaps it was luckier for the combatants.

In any case, they entered their room without altercation. It was small, 'rustic' is the term usually used, but it was clean, and there were two beds. Leon immediately took up position at the large window that faced the door. He stood, legs apart, sword resting easily on the bed closest to him. Paine followed, and closed the door carefully behind her, blocking out the sounds of the fight going on downstairs.

She crossed her arms over her chest, a habit she'd picked up from her days as a part of the Crimson Squad.

"_Lance_? What was that all about?"

He knew that her real concern was the patronizing and unflattering name he gave her, but he ignored that. Since she couldn't see his face, he allowed himself a small smirk. Without turning around, he answered:

"What? I told you, it wasn't safe to use my name here."

Paine sat down on the bed closest to the door, obviously the one she'd been 'assigned'. A moment passed in silence, then another.

"So, are you going to tell me what happened the last time you were here?" she asked.

"No," he replied immediately, with all the finality of a closing coffin. She exhaled, exasperated, and looked around. The room was sparsely furnished, the only real pieces-the two beds. This was a place that people slept off their inebriation, not a place to entertain guests. She felt bone tired, but refused to let Leon see her as weak. He seemed impervious to any kinds of discomfort. After a while, her exhaustion overcame her pride, and she lay down, but not before saying:

"Wake me up in two hours and I'll take over."

She didn't know if he heard her or not, certainly he didn't answer, but she was too tired to care. She guessed it had something to do with whatever drugs they had used on her while she was with Mirt. And she was sure now that they had done…something, though she couldn't put her finger on what. Either way, it had diminished her endurance, something that made her angrier than she cared to think about.

The last thing she heard…or at least thought she heard, before she was embraced by sweet oblivion was a voice, low and indistinct. If she hadn't known better, she would have sworn it said:

"Rest easy, dream well."


	7. Chapter 7

Leon stood on the roof of the tavern. It hadn't been difficult to get up here, the hard part had been squeezing through a skylight in the attic area. The Gunblade had caused a problem, but with a lot of moving around, and jostling, he'd made it.

He had decided to come up for just a few minutes, but once he had sat down, he stopped thinking about all the things he and Paine had to do. He had, of course, heard her tell him to wake her up, but he had no intention of doing such a thing, especially after being ordered. He told himself it was because it was her own responsibility to wake herself up, but somewhere, in the places of himself he ignored, he knew it was also because he really did want her to rest.

"Not strong enough for this kind of work," he muttered. But the truth was, a lesser person would have given up long ago.

He continued to sit on the cold, cobbled roof, watching the sunrise, collecting his thoughts when a rock bounced off his head. He leapt up, one hand already at his sword, the other rubbing his now aching skull. The roof of the tavern was apex shaped, and his attacker had apparently managed to toss the stone over the top of the structure, and still managed to hit him, without him being able to see them. He jumped over the railing that separated the two sides of the building, and slid down the incline on the other side. Once he reached the bottom, it was just a fast, eight-foot jump to the ground again. Paine was there, hefting another, sharper stone, her eyes burning embers of amusement. Leon however, was not amused. Paine smiled, not altogether pleasant.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Lance, did I wake you from your beauty sleep?"

At that moment there was no one that Leon wanted to dismember more than the black clad warrior in front of him. He crossed his arms, and clenched his hands so that he wouldn't attempt to strangle her.

"You seem well rested enough," he shot back. She looked away, obviously embarrassed but she recovered quickly.

"Don't complain to me. I told you to get me up after two hours. You chose not to, that makes it your problem."

Leon ground his teeth, though no other emotion showed. But Paine knew she had a small, if bittersweet victory this round. On the other hand, now she'd have to watch her back, because he'd be looking for a rematch.

The Townhouse, apparently, the center of all governmental activities for this small planet, was across the large courtyard from the Tavern. Paine found it oddly symbolic: the two focal points, rising above the squalor. Leon and Paine moved easily across, avoiding eye contact from the locals who still didn't seem to have moved from their places around the fire pit. Eyes, shadowed by hoods followed them, ominous and strange. Paine kept herself on alert. It never really got 'sunny' on this planet, a blanket of cloud continually covered the sky, even the sun was muted. As they walked, Paine asked, not really expecting an answer:

"So what were you doing up there?"

Leon shrugged. "Just thinking."

Paine laughed.

"Oh, dear, I hope you didn't pull something. I know it's probably not something your use to."

He spun on her so fast, she almost tumbled backward. His eyes were a blaze of black light that shot through her skull and scorched the ground on the other side. A wave of panic washed over her as she watched Leon struggle to regain control over his temper. Still, the sides of her mouth twitched up slightly. _Score two._ With a growl that resembled the lion he wore around his neck, Leon spun on his heel, and stalked off, obviously not caring whether Paine followed or not.

She waited a respectful amount of time then began to slowly follow.

The Townhouse wasn't much larger than the Tavern, but it was better lit, and had fewer people stuffed inside. Inside the first door, a cabinet could be seen, with different artifacts, portraying the world's history. Portraits, weapons, pottery…Something in particular caught Paine's eye, but before she could investigate, a voice boomed from another room:

"Come!"

They entered through an arched doorway, to another open room, though this one contained a long mahogany table. On one end, sitting in a high-backed chair was a very old man. Paine thought she had met some old men, men like Maechen, but truth be told, he was 'ageless'. This man surpassed them all. His flowing beard reached the floor, and almost seemed to be an entity unto itself. His face was a map of wrinkles and lines, his eyes held wisdom that is only gained from long life, and his mouth seemed to be in a perpetual state of half-smile, as if he knew something you didn't. Paine felt the strange need to look away, avoid meeting his eyes, for fear he'd be able to see all her secrets.

Leon was totally at ease however; he strode, confidently, almost defiantly into the room, and stood before the old man. He bowed, from the waist, then straightened. The old man studied both visitors intently, dissecting them like insects. Paine looked around to locate guards, but she couldn't find any. Perhaps they were hidden.

"Your Honor," Leon intoned, his deep voice resonating off the chamber's walls, "I request-"

"You _request_?" the old Honor wheezed, amused. His voice sounded like crinkling paper, it was so thin. At first Paine was confused by his tone, but his next words made everything infinitely clear.

"What makes you think you have the right to request anything? Why, I should throw you in the town hall prison, just for daring to step foot on this world again. I warned you, last time." He looked at Paine.

"And who are you, who's gotten involved with this ruffian? Pretty girl like you shouldn't mix with trash like him." Paine shifted, uncomfortably. She didn't like being put on the spot, and she didn't like the way the old man looked at her. She opened her mouth to answer, but Leon cut her off.

"She is not your concern. Your Honor, I assure you, landing here was not my intention. My ship was attacked, and I had to make a crash landing. I simply need some spare parts to fix my ship, and fuel, and I'll be out of your hair by nightfall."

The old man snickered, rasping.

"Did that fool of a tavern keeper let you stay there last night?" he demanded, still choking from laughing. Leon stayed silent.

"Ah, I ought to throw him in jail, incompetent imbecile!" Paine couldn't tell if the old man was kidding or serious, but she was becoming more and more uneasy. Leon, too, she could see was getting restless, his eyes kept darting back and forth, and he kept his hands clear, in case he needed to pull the Gunblade from its scabbard at his back. The Patriarch looked between them before asking Paine straight out:

"Did he tell you what he did the last time he was here?"

"Your Honor, we have not been together long, but if I may-"

The Patriarch roared with mirth.

"Oh, this is rich, rich!" He was beginning to grate on both Warrior's nerves. He began to tick off on his fingers:

"First: he robs my treasury, took off with a fortune, he did! Then," another finger, "He kills two of my most loyal guards, but the worst-the _worst_ of them all," his eyes took on a cold glitter. "He kidnaps my beautiful daughter, puts her on his trash heap of a ship and carries her off-world, to be subjected to who knows what kind of atrocities."

Paine looked, sideways out of the corner of her eye at Leon for confirmation or denial. A muscle twitched in his jaw, but other than that, he was unreadable, save for the hardness of his black eyes. The Honor leaned back in his chair, obviously exhausted from his ranting.

"Oh, yes, you have a lot of nerve showing up again. And where, may I ask, is my daughter?" Leon didn't even hesitate.

"Safe from the attentions of a pathetic old man, who pretended to be her protector, when all he wanted to use her for was his own gain." The Patriarch roared, this time not form laughter but from rage.

"Guards!" he called. Paine immediately went into a crouch position, sword at her side. Leon did the reverse, standing just a little bit straighter, though he too, drew his sword. They were immediately beset by a group of guards, at least five. The world splintered into glass shards as Paine defended herself, always keeping an eye on Leon, a strange feeling that he may just make a break for it, and leave her there. The first guard-a thin, sprightly fellow- came at her, expecting her to be an easy target, but she surprised him, by leaping straight into the air, and delivering a powerful round kick, that sent him sprawling. He was followed by a burlier man. Paine changed tactics. She went on the defensive, backing up, blocking blows he rained down on her. His strength was considerable, after the third or fourth time their swords met, Paine could feel her arm tingling. She leapt onto the table, to try and get an advantage with height. He swept his sword at her legs, but she jumped and dodged. She brought her own sword down, but he managed to move to the side, so it caught in his shoulder. He yelped in pain, but didn't seem to be heavily injured. He grabbed her sword with his bare hands and flipped her off the table. She landed unceremoniously on the ground, the wind knocked out of her. She was now bereft of her sword, but with some quick thinking, she grabbed a chair, and landed a hefty blow to the guards midsection, making him double over. She was up in a flash, and grabbing her sword, she bludgeoned the back of his head with the hilt, rendering him unconscious. She looked around, Leon was just finishing up with his last guard, the rest were either unconscious or…well, Paine hoped the amount of blood on the floor didn't indicate the body count. Leon got on the table, and ran down it's length to where the Patriarch sat, now terrified, his eyes wide and wild, face ashen.

With a growl, Leon leaned his Gunblade against the Honor's throat, while with his other hand, he clutched the old man's collar.

"We did it your way. Now we do it mine," he murmured through clenched teeth. "Fuel. Now." His tone allowed for no argument or negotiation and the old man could tell that any wrong move on his part would result in a sudden lack of head. he gulped loudly, wondering if Leon would kill him just for spite.

"Th-The fuel is kept in the building…behind the B-blacksmith's shop."

Leon released him, and the man collapsed into his throne. Leon beckoned to Paine and together they left the weeping aged Honor in his sad throne room.

The Blacksmith's shop was easy to find, and it wasn't long before they had discovered the rather dilapidated building behind it. There was no question as they entered that this was the fuel storage, toxic fumes bombarded their senses, making their eyes water, and their noses burn. The building was dark, with only one window, but Leon seemed to know where he was going. Paine held her peace as he ordered her to gather barrel's, while he looked for some patchwork parts. She found a hand-pushed cart and loaded two barrels on it. When Leon had found what he was looking for-repair kit, putty, Paine didn't even ask what some of the things were, or how they were going to fix the ship. He grabbed another barrel, hefting it onto his shoulder. By now, all the alarms and bells in the town were going off, so they didn't have much choice, or time to strategize. Paine pushed as fast and as hard as she could, though it was hard going in the woods, there were branches and vines on the forest floor, blocking her way. Often she would lose momentum, but she would just shove harder, determined to not lose pace. She could see Leon tiring, from the heavy weight on his shoulder, but he made no indication of stopping. The sound of barking dogs goaded them onward, telling them their pursuers were right on their heels. The sight of the ship was a welcome one, but also a sad reminder that they were no closer to getting off ground.

"Put the fuel into the ship, I'll mend the wing and the engine," Leon commanded. Paine opened her mouth to protest, to say she could help, but he pointed to the cockpit and yelled: "Go!"

She went without question. It took a little while to find the fuel compartment, but eventually she did. She emptied one barrel into the receptacle then kicked the empty container out the door. She heard a yell, and smiled, knowing she'd almost managed to mow down the Captain. She made sure the other two barrels were carefully stored, and secured before walking out to check on Leon. By the time she was back out in the light, he had the engine fixed, and the wing almost done.

"How-how could you do that so…so fast?" she breathed, remembering how long repairs on the Celsius would take. Leon shrugged, non-committal, still busy.

"It's magic," he said simply. Paine rolled her eyes, just as he said, triumphantly:

"Got it! Now, let's go."

They shut the door as their would-be captors arrived, wielding archaic rifles. Leon jumped in the Pilot's chair and began the start-up sequence. He barely glanced at Paine as he asked:

"You did get the fuel in, right?"

"Of course," she replied curtly, the unspoken _What do you think I am, completely incompetent? _hanging in the air. He quickly ran over the check ups, then revved the engine. At first-nothing. Paine clenched her fists, worried that their work had been for nothing, that they would be captured. He tried again, whispering, "Come on, now, you can do it, come on." Paine remembered when Brother use to talk to the Celsius, and she wondered, _What is it with guys and talking to their ships?_

On the fourth try, the engine turned over, and the thrusters fired. Leon breathed a sigh of relief then said:

"Prepare to break orbit." By that he meant 'Strap on your seat belt' which Paine did without hesitation.

As they pulled up and away, Paine looked out the window, staring down at the hostile planet which had given few answers but had raised countless questions.


	8. Chapter 8

Paine handled the take off significantly better this time around, though she still felt like her stomach had been sucked out through her spinal cord. After a half-hour or so, she grew bored. She kept an eye on the navigation console, but mainly continued to study the history and charts of the different worlds she'd never known existed. Leon was sure she'd grow tired of it eventually, but an hour passed, then two, and still she showed no signs of stopping her newly found education. Leon, personally wasn't fond of reading, sitting still for long periods of time, or for that matter, being trapped alone on a ship with a person he was growing increasingly intolerant of. He chanced a sidelong glance at her. Words and pictures reflected off her face, in her scarlet eyes, her mouth moving silently, forming the words she saw on the screen.

He knew she had questions, probably many and all very pertinent. Questions like: How long ago has it been since you visited that planet? Why were you there in the first place? She probably wanted to know why he had robbed the treasury. But most off all, she probably wanted to know about the girl, and-even more important than that-what he'd done with and to her. Valid questions. Questions he had no intention of answering. He had all but held his breath, waiting for the interrogation to start, but Paine remained mercifully quiet. And there were other kinds of questions. He remembered the way her face had lit up, eyes wide when she found out that the ship had been repaired in so little amount of time. The marriage of magic and technology was old news to him, he was use to its many benefits but she obviously had never come in contact with the 'special stuff' he used to fix the damaged engine. Oh, well, he had no plan to enlighten her anytime soon. Better to just let her think he did it himself.

The ship settled into a comfortable quiet, the only sound the hum of the engines. Leon heard Paine murmuring under her breath,

"…and when the final battle was fought, the only-"

"How many systems have you covered?" Leon asked, sardonically.

"…victor was-Four-the good forces of…"

Leon did some quick calculations in his head. That was over 40 worlds! And his histories were pretty detailed. He was ready to let the matter go, but she suddenly stopped and asked,

"Who decides which side is good and which side is evil?" Leon blinked at her.

"It's usually pretty obvious. The people going around torching defenseless villages and slaughtering innocent people are generally considered evil. The ones who fight against them, who fight for justice and peace…they're thought to be the good guys."

Paine looked away, unsatisfied. She remembered the stories Yuna had told her, especially about her namesake, Yunalesca. She thought she'd been doing the right thing. Had _she_ been evil? What about Sin? Surely everyone would agree that Sin was the most evil force Spira had ever seen, but…what about those that _became_ Sin? Were they also evil, though they had little choice in their actions? What about Shu-No, she wouldn't think about him.

Leon saw Paine shudder involuntarily, crossing her arms over her stomach, as if remembering an old wound, never fully healed.

"I don't…I don't think it's as black and white as that."

Leon leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms out above his head.

"Sure it is. Good is good and evil is evil, there's no two ways about it." Paine sighed in exasperation, she obviously wasn't getting through. The Machina war flashed through her head.

"But what if…what if two cities were fighting, both for something they truly believed was right, both thinking the other was at fault. Wouldn't the victor be able to declare who had been the real heroes?"

Leon looked puzzled.

"I'm not sure what you're getting at."

Paine leaned forward.

"Once…a long, long time ago, on my world, there were two cities: Bevelle and Zanarkand. Zanarkand was the capital of Spira, the center of commerce, trade, entertainment, everything. It was completely dependent on machina…machines, technology, and it sparkled and shone in its state of perpetual night. Bevelle thought that depending on machina like that…not being self-sufficient was destructive and unwise. A war began. Bevelle sent its forces: Crusaders, Summoners, and Guardians…against the machines of Zanarkand. Families were separated, split down the middle. Sides were taken, friend turning against friend. Countless died." She fell silent.

"What happened?" Leon asked quietly. Paine looked up at him, and he was surprised by the look in her eyes, a mix of fear and anger.

"Sin." She said simply. Then she laughed, bitterly.

"Sin was such a big problem the Machina War seemed petty. Zanarkand was completely destroyed. Bevelle claimed that the coming of Sin was because of Zanarkand's love of machina and their unpeaceful attitude. From then on, for a long time, machina was banned. But had Zanarkand really done anything wrong? Anyway, a thousand years passed. Then...things changed." She quieted again, but when Leon pressed her, he was met with only resolute silence.

A few moments passed, and neither had made much effort to move. Both were exhausted from their adventures, and besides, there was really no where to go. The ship grew cold in the depths of space and Paine shivered. Leon stood up and disappeared for a moment into the hatch. When he returned he was carrying a blanket, pulled out from one compartment or another. He held it out to Paine. Tentatively, she took it from him, with no fanfare, or thanks. He sat down in the Pilots chair and turned it from autopilot to manual.

After a while, Paine broke the silence again.

"So are you going to tell me how you got that scar on your face?" she asked, easily. He glanced at her, then back into space.

"Occupational hazard," was all he said. Paine smiled, before a thought occurred to her, and she got up to move closer to the Captain's seat. Leon seemed to have forgotten that she was there, because when she put her hand on his shoulder to get his attention, he started violently. She jerked her hand away as if it had been burning.

"Uh-sorry. I was just wondering…" her voice trailed off for a moment, but she collected herself. She'd never been the kind to wilt or back down.

"Can you teach me how to drive this ship?"

Leon raised an eyebrow, though whether in offense or amusement, she couldn't tell.

"I'm a very adept pilot on our airships, but I don't think it's anything like this. If you should be incapacitated for some reason, I may need to get us out, and I'd like to be confident in my flying skills."

He stared at her in his unfathomable way, while inwardly, his brain was scrambling for an excuse _not_ to let her learn. But, curse it! Her reasoning made sense. If for some reason he should be unable to pilot, she would need to. On the other hand, the idea of her at the controls of his beautiful ship…

"We'll see," he finally replied. She nodded, that seeming to be enough for her. She left, disappearing into the cargo area. He stared at the empty doorway for a while before turning around, rubbing his face. His concern wasn't even her abilities, which he really didn't doubt existed. But his was a very special ship. To pilot it, you had to know its name. _Her_ name. He would have to tell Paine her name. And try as he might, Leon just didn't think he could do that.


	9. Chapter 9

They were now over three days behind the original schedule. Leon kept the ship on manual and gunned the engine to speeds only possible in empty space.

Paine finally got tired of reading the histories, they all sounded the same. Wars were fought for ridiculously small and petty reasons, people-'good' and 'bad' fought for what they believed to be true, always thinking they were in the right. Heroes were made, usually by accident and almost never by choice. She keyed the screen to show only the worlds affected by the Heartless Wars. Now here was a story of good and evil, heroes and villains, light and darkness. The records were incomplete, gaps existed. Paine though of asking Leon for clarification but he was completely focused on piloting the small ship. It was a good thing, too or they may have had a repeat of the their previous adventure (which Paine had labeled 'Crash and Burn' in her mind). Another ship pulled up right beside their silver craft and a red light blinked on at Paine's console.

"I think we're being hailed!" she yelled to Leon. He snapped out of piloting mode, and tossed over his shoulder: Answer them! Purple button."

With a little searching Paine located the reply controls. The Holo-vid screen lit up. Paine caught her breath. Gracing the screen was the most beautiful woman Paine had ever seen. She was so unclassical and unique, smashing any traditional stereotype of beauty. Her hair was an incredibly intriguing shade somewhere between red and blonde, and fell straight onto her shoulders. Her skin was smooth, free of impurities and matched perfectly with her startling bright green-hazel eyes. Her mouth was wide and generous, eyes luminous with laughter and the smile she wore only added to her delicate facial structure.

"Leon," she greeted, quietly and not just a little bit suggestively. Her mouth drew tight.

"You didn't tell me you were coming to my system," she chastised, playfully. Paine shuddered in disgust. Even at her most annoying Rikku would never take such a tone, she had too much pride and dignity. Paine looked at Leon to gauge his reaction but of course he (shockingly) didn't have any.

"I hadn't planned on coming, Sevren," he answered evenly, "I'm sure-"

"Well, you simply _must_ come aboard, we have _so_ much to catch up on." Leon shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but I am already behind schedule and I really must move on." Paine realized the young woman couldn't see her as she was a bit off tot he side and below Sevren's line of sight. Paine also didn't miss Leon's use of first person, implying he was alone.

Sevren crossed her arms although the effect was lost as only her head was truly visible.

"I won't take no for an answer, Leon. My ship is much larger and more powerful than yours. I've already started the docking procedures." Her tone had gotten uncharacteristically hard, and a silent threat hung on the air. Paine smiled. At least the girl had a backbone. Leon sighed in resignation. Sevren smiled in triumph.

"See you soon, love."

Paine started. She'd heard that tone and term of endearment before and it hadn't sounded any less patronizing before. The screen went blank. Paine swiveled in her chair.

"You're doing what she says?" she asked, loosely though the implication of_ 'You wussy pushover_' laced every word. Leon shrugged, ignoring her unspoken insult.

"No one else knows of our mission, right?"

She nodded.

"If we rush off, someone will get suspicious and come after us. Sevren hosts many treasure finders and bounty hunters on her yacht, and we don't want them on our trail. Trust me, we'll save more time but just going on, making an appearance and leaving." Paine hated to admit it, but his logic was correct.

As they walked down a tunnel that now linked the two ships, Paine asked, nonchalantly: "So, who is she?"

Suprisingly, Leon answered immediately.

"Remember when that old man said I kidnapped his daughter?"

Like Paine could have forgotten in so short a time. She nodded.

"Well, Sevren was that man's step-daughter. They weren't really related, and let's just say you don't want the gruesome details of his plans for her." Paine could guess.

"Anyway, when I arrived on that planet, there were some…misunderstandings with the management, and eventually I had to make a break for it. Sevren asked for my help and I-"

"And you just _couldn't _refuse her," Paine finished, sardonically. Leon sent her an annoyed look. By now they had reached the doorway. It opened with a clean hiss, and the first thing both of them noticed was the smell. After being locked in a small craft, the scent of open clean air was a welcome one. Paine looked around, in a mixture of awe and thinly veiled contempt. The ship was made for luxury not practicality, made obvious by the ridiculous amount of lights that floated around, illuminating every corner with a soft white glow. The ceilings were high, vaulted, and decorated with an angel motif. In the center of the room (which was the central area of the ship) was a large, ever-flowing water fountain. It sparkled like a jewel in the sun, the sound of its falls floating in the air. Paine was instantly uncomfortable. It was too sweet, too sugary, and unreal. Leon's ship, that was real. The Celsius had been real. This…this was all clouds and air, there was no substance. She didn't have much time to ponder the issue because almost immediately after boarding, their hostess made her grand appearance. And it was quite the spectacle. She was radiant in a dress of iridescent white, with a high collared neck, glittering with gems, and a long flowing skirt. She moved across the floor with an easy grace, and closed the distance between the two of them quickly. Paine melted into the background, standing next to, and slightly behind a large frond plant. Sevren didn't even say hello. She moved in front of Leon, held his face in her hands, and kissed him passionately. Paine blinked. Then she half laughed, half snorted. For his part, Leon didn't encourage Sevren, but he didn't immediately push her away either. When she pulled back, his face was in exactly the same neutral position it had been before. This didn't seem to bother her, she just smiled, took his arm and said:

"Come, you must be exhausted."

He shot an emphatic look back at Paine. Sevren looked over his shoulder and saw the concealed warrior for the first time.

"Well, hello!" She looked pointedly at Leon. "And who's this?"

Paine moved out of the shadows and stepped into the light. The two sized each other up, and eventually gave each other the expressive look of two women who would _never_ be friends. Leon answered before the animosity grew to be too great.

"This is Paine. I am escorting her to her home world."

Paine would have opened her mouth in protest (implying she was incapable of taking herself anywhere on her own rather grated on her), but she recalled what Leon had said about secrecy. She ground her teeth in silence instead. Sevren's eyes narrowed.

"Oh, really?" She moved from around Leon and stood in front of Paine. They were close to the same height, though they really couldn't be any different. Paine crossed her arms in a defensive/offensive gesture.

"And which world would that be, dear?" Sevren asked in a tone that informed all present that she didn't buy a word of it. Leon made to answer quickly, but Paine beat him to it.

"Pandora." Paine knew that if she had given her true home world, it would have raised too many unwanted questions, so she chose one from the histories she had read. Sevren nodded, but still seemed unconvinced.

"Ah, yes. I seem to recall a great war took place not too long ago. Were you involved in that?"

Paine thought quickly. The words from the screen flashed through her mind.

"No, my village was unaffected. As you undoubtedly know, the war was one by only three individuals from the Tenoka, Fiery and Verence clans. Of those three, only two survived. The Wolf Ninja of Verence was killed by the Wind General."

Behind Sevren, Leon looked impressed. Sevren seemed satisfied, for the moment at least. As soon as she had discarded Paine as a threat she ignored the black clad warrior completely. She grabbed possessively at Leon and said:

"Well, come along, I'll show you around."

Three hours later, Paine hoped she never saw a shred of pink, peach, satin, silk or various kinds of angels, or angelic beings. She felt like gagging but wouldn't allow even a whisp of weakness to show, for certainty Sevren would jump on it. In fact, more than once the fire blonde would remark things like:

"My dear, you look tired. Are you holding up okay?"

Paine would smile sweetly and reply, "Just fine, dear."

Sevren would get a vaguely serpentine expression before turning back and smiling endearingly at Leon, who seemed to enjoy having all the expression of a block of wood.

Of course Sevren's yacht (sired '_Heaven's Kiss_') was always well lit so night was non-existent, but there was a large clock that let the occupants know when to begin their rest cycle. Coming from Spira, where there were some places like Zanarkand that were always shrouded in night, and places like the Bikanel Desert that never darkened, so the idea of absolute sleep times was a novel one for Paine. Sevren showed them to their rooms on the quarterdeck. Paine didn't miss the implication brought on by the arrangement. Sevren's room was in between her and Leon's.

Paine ignored both of them as she tried to bolt in to her assigned room, but Leon stopped her in the doorway. He leaned down a little and talked quietly so only she could hear.

"Listen, we may have to get out of here pretty fast, so stay alert."

Paine looked at him carefully, trying to see if he was kidding. She repressed the desire to laugh.

"Aye aye, Captain," she whispered, mockingly. He searched her face a moment longer, before turning away, and disappearing into his own room.

Paine's room was comfortable, well furnished, and best of all, dark. The lights were dimmed, and the bed coverings were a deep shade of blue. Paine sat down, and felt the weight of her body sink into the bedding. She groaned. She hated really soft beds, and inwardly she knew she wouldn't sleep much tonight. Although she considered, as she looked around, it was unlikely she'd sleep much in a place like this anyway.

She lay down, and stared at the ceiling and clenched her hands in frustration. Too much time lost, too much time resting, sleeping, dreaming…

She wanted to move, to get going, anywhere, nowhere, she didn't care, just to have a mission again. Admittedly, Leon was not the first person Paine would have asked for in a companion, but at least she knew he could handle himself.

After an hour and half of not sleeping, Paine decided to explore a little. She didn't know how far she could get before being seen and shuttled back to her gilded prison, but she figured it couldn't hurt to find out. Unfortunately, she never got past the hallway.

She opened the door and silently looked around. Her eyes rested on a lone figure leaning on the opposite wall in the hallway.

"What are you doing out here?" she hissed. Leon shrugged. A mischievous gleam came into Paine's eyes.

"Bored with your little sugar coated damsel already?" she asked, tauntingly, every word dripping with sickening sweetness.

Leon pushed himself off the wall and swaggered towards her, and Paine had to stop herself from taking a defensive posture immediately. He smiled, meanly, cruelly, and standing very close to her, he asked:

"What bothers you more? That I could go in her room? Or that I'm not in yours?"

Paine almost choked at the implication. Her eyes flew open, and she clenched her hands so tightly that several knuckles cracked. He laughed, knowing he had scored, but it was worth at least 3 points, putting him in the lead. Paine breathed heavily through her nose, her jaw feeling wired shut. She wouldn't look at him, and her entire body shook with anger. And so he took his leave of her, with her dark thoughts, most involving the gruesome death of several small fuzzy animals, and one smug Gunblade wielder.


	10. Chapter 10

Many worlds away, in his golden brown ship, Mirt was contemplating in sweet euphoria what he would do with his own special little world. It had of course, never occurred to him that a being that had never allowed himself to be seen would _ever_ allow even a partial portion of his power to be shared with the kind of worm Mirt prided himself to be. Men like Mirt never did.

In any case, he was in deep concentration when a voice, ethereal and unholy whispered right in his hair:

"_You are a fool, you moronic imbecile. Those two warriors will kill each other before they ever reach the Stigmon. You must take steps to ensure it does not fall into the wrong hands. And if your great fighters do not destroy themselves, remember to warn them about the Guardians."_ The presence left.

It was strange that every time Mirt received a visit from the Master he felt he should eat as much sweet foods as he could because his time was limited. He couldn't account for this feeling, but it drew him to the galley of his ship, where he found waiting for him, as if expecting his arrival was a vast array of sugar treats and very strong alcoholic beverages.

Back on the _Heaven's Kiss_…

Needless to say, Paine wasn't comfortable and did not sleep well that 'night'. But perhaps she would have been comforted by the knowledge that Leon wasn't and didn't either.

When the servants were just rising to start the morning cleaning and cooking, Paine found herself on the forward observation deck of the _Heaven's Kiss_, staring out into the deep nothingness that makes up space. This would prove to be fortuitous because of the following events.

How the commotion began no one could say but by the time Paine had reached the main area, she was able to witness it in full swing. And swinging it was. Mainly, Sevren's guards…at Leon. Obviously, Sevren was not the kind of girl who took no, of any kind from anyone for an answer.

"Let us go, Sevren. I have no fight with you, but you can't keep us here." He spoke evenly, and reasonably, but Sevren, despite her cool demeanor, was past the point of listening.

"I am not planning on keeping you both here. She can go anytime she wants, I don't even want her here. But I don't understand why you can't stay here?" Tears welled up in her wide green eyes, and her lower lip quivered spasmodically. Leon hung his head, his hand on his sword. Sevren's voice took on a diamond hard edge.

"I won't let you leave Leon."

Her guards attacked. Paine had seen Leon take on overwhelming odds before, but not only was he outnumbered six to one, but he was also outgunned. All of the guards carried high powerful firearms, which they didn't hesitate to fire mercilessly. Leon ducked and dodged, trying hard not to hurt the guards without committing practical suicide. Paine watched for a while, before she tired of the game.

She moved up behind Sevren quietly, and had her dark silver blade to the eccentric young woman's throat before she could finish her screech of:

"It doesn't have to be like this!" She stiffened when she felt the sword at her jugular.

"Call them off," she whispered silkily in Sevren's ear. The redhead clenched her jaw.

"Why is he important to you?" she changed the subject.

"He's not, but I won't leave him here with you. I'm not that cruel."

"You don't understand. He wants to stay with me. I know it. He wants to take care of me." She sounded like a child faced with a mortal terror. Paine was quickly getting sick of the whole situation. She ignored Sevren completely and just yelled to the guards.

"Cease fire, and let us go, unharmed, or you'll be taking orders from a headless corpse!"

All firing stopped immediately. It was apparent that they didn't much relish the idea of shooting someone they respected so much. They looked up at Sevren. She nodded tightly. They vacated the room. Paine let her go, and walked past Leon, throwing over her shoulder, "I'll be in the ship."

Leon stared at Sevren, his face unreadable, but with just a hint of disappointment in his eyes. Her own eyes begged his understanding, his compassion. He shook his head, and walked out, without ever looking back.

When Leon walked in the ship, Paine was quiet, leaving him alone, partly out of respect, partly out of fear that he'd just kill her for spite. He walked past her as if she didn't exist, and disappeared into the cargo hold, shutting and locking the door behind him.

The one thing they never tell you about space is that it's _boring_. At least on an airship you could look down and watch the scenery go by.

There is no scenery in space, in fact, there's nothing out there at all. Of course with Rikku and Brother it was never boring, or peaceful for that matter. Paine found herself thinking more and more about her past, especially _them_, all of them. And the ship was so small, there was nowhere to go and nothing to do. Paine was now fully rested and almost completely healed. A few scars would be all that she had to show for her little tusle. She still grew angry every time the memory surfaced.

"I should have been able to take them," she berated herself. She looked at Leon who was apparently unaffected by the long mundane hours. _He could have probably taken them_.

On day, the monotony of the days was broken by a call. Leon was sleeping or at least resting in the cargo area with the door shut and locked.

He hadn't told her what to do in this situation. In fact he hadn't said anything to her in two days. She waited a little while in case Leon would emerge. When it became obvious that he wasn't going to, Paine pressed the purple button herself. A familiar face filled the screen,

"Paine! Leon hasn't gotten you two killed yet?" Yuffie asked, a grin reaching from ear to ear.

"Not for lack of trying," Paine replied, dryly.

"So what's been going on?" Yuffie practically bounced up and down. Paine pondered for a moment.

"We ran into an old friend of Leon's: Sevren."

Yuffie's face screwed up into a distasteful expression, as if she'd just stepped in something unpleasant. Paine chuckled.

"I see you're not too fond of her either."

Yuffie shook her head vigorously.

"The feeling is mutual, I can tell you that." She paused. "How did Leon handle it? This time Paine laughed outright, a harsh bark.

"Oh, they seemed quite comfortable." Yuffie's face grew concerned.

"What happened?" she asked, seriously. Paine quickly ran over their encounter. Yuffie stared off screen, until Paine finished.

"Manipulative…"Yuffie muttered, darkly, though the next word she said was lost. Paine could speculate what it was from the tone though. Paine was confused and a little disturbed by Yuffie's bitter tone.

"_He _didn't complain," Paine observed. Yuffie sadly shook her head.

"No, he wouldn't. Too good for his own good." Paine blinked, now completely lost. Yuffie noticed her expression and explained.

"When we were last here, Leon went to do the job we'd been hired for. I stayed on the ship, monitoring the situation. Along the way, he comes in contact with Sevren. A little slip of a girl, with tussled red hair and tear streaked face. And my good partner is quite the sucker for a damsel in distress. He risked his life, _and mine,_ I should mention, almost got both of us killed, the big dummy. Anyway, he got her out and she even managed to convince him to get money from the treasury. Said it was her 'inheritance and dowry'." Every word dripped with sarasm and conceit.

"He set her up with some nice people and made sure she'd be safe and comfortable. I could tell she was trouble. She was definitely playing him. But he's got a total blind spot when it comes to her. She's just another of his many wards, a poor soul that needs to be cared for." She took a deep breath, since she'd rushed all this out in one breath, then she sighed in resignation and smiled brightly. Paine wondered at the young woman's ability to swing from mood to mood.

"So," Paine said slowly, trying to assimilate all the information, "You two have 'wards' on different worlds?" Yuffie bounced up and down.

"Oh, yes-Well, not just us, but we do all the work, but yeah, others do too. Oh! There's this one old man, and his son was really a-"

The sound of a gravelly throat clearing stopped the sporadic litany. Paine froze for a moment before standing up and turning around. Leon leaned on the door jam, his face as unreadable as ever though his eyes seemed a shade darker. Yuffie covered beautifully.

"Well, _good morning_, sunshine. I guess what they say is true. 'Speak of the devil and he shall appear'." Leon wouldn't look at either of them.

"Paine, would you excuse us for a moment?" he requested with icy politeness. Paine slowly walked by, taking a final glance at Yuffie who wore a distinct '_Save me_' look. As she passed him, Paine looked up at Leon. He wouldn't meet her eyes, wouldn't even look at her, and she wondered how much he had heard.

As the door hissed shut behind her, she heard Yuffie whine, pitiably: "_What_? What did I do?"

Leon waited till he heard the door lock. He stood before the holo-vid screen, powerful arms crossed over his chest. Yuffie cringed visibly as dark azure eyes burned holes through her skull. She quickly defended herself.

"Look, I know you're mad," she paused, perhaps hoping he would cool off. He didn't bite. "Uh, yeah." She started again, "But I didn't see any harm in telling her. We were just talking and-"

"It isn't her business," Leon silenced her in his slow, cold way that made Yuffie suppress a shiver, even though she knew him well enough to know he'd never hurt her.

"But," she argued, though again, he quieted her with a glare. She grew somber.

"I like her, Squall. She-"

"I don't care, Yuffie. I have great faith in your judgement, but it doesn't matter. Once this job is over, she goes back to this world and I-"

"Go where? You have no world, no home. You know you can always come back to us, but I know you won't. So where will you go?"

Leon hated it when Yuffie was reasonable. He sighed.

"Away, Yuffie. I'll just go away." Her eyes softened in understanding. But not pity. He wouldn't tolerate being pitied. She gave up, knowing that pushing him would only make it worse.

"Well, take care of yourself, then."

"You, too," he replied, stiffly. As an afterthought, she added:

"Take care of her too. You need someone to watch your back." Her eyes sparkled impishly and she winked at him, before a blank screen replaced her face. He sank into the Pilot's chair and wondered which vengeful deity he had offended that would curse him with two such insufferable women.

Meanwhile, Paine was facing her own curse. Its physical incarnation was a black bag. No one had seen her bring it on board, she had snuck it in. Now, she stared at it, wondering if this time…if this time would be different. If this time she would be able to handle it, to face it. Her fingers reached out, barely caressing the material when-

The door hissed open, and Leon leaned his head in.

"What is that?" he asked, bluntly. Her eyes narrowed.

"None of your business," Paine answered, curtly. They faced each other as two elements, needing only the bare minimal aggravation to set off a fire-hail storm. Just one spark.

Mirt called.


	11. A Non Chapter

Alright, people (devoted readers, whom I owe a great debt of thanks):

The time for decision is at hand. I'm sorry I haven't updated sooner, school is intense, but I AM willing to go on with this story. But first I need to know:

Do you want me to prolong the end, have them go through some more mini-adventures, develop the characters a little more, etc, or do you want me to wrap it up, and head towards the ending? I already have a sequel in mind, but I need to know if people will be interested in it (hint: It will feature another famous FF character). So let me know what you think and I'll try and update as soon as possible.

The Most Apologetic Author


	12. Chapter Eleven

(Author's note: The gods of fanfiction are against me. For the longest time, I couldn't get my computer to work. But, never fear! I have triumphed at last, and managed to bring you a big chapter. More will follow soon, I swear)

On a world far far away, a dark figure made its way down a dark alley away from the hustle and bustle of the Town. It crept silently along until it reached an iron grate that protected a dark waterway. Ever so quietly it slipped through the bars, splashing into the murky water on the other side, where it made a noise which contrasted greatly with its dark and dank surroundings. The sound was:

"EEEEEWWWWW!"

The Great Ninja Yuffie twisted her face up in an expression of abject displeasure. She hadn't been down here in a long time, and now she was reminded why. Still the importance of her mission was too great. She'd heard there was another entrance to the underground waterway, but she'd never found out what it was, or where it was, and so found herself feeling along gushy slimy walls, praying that it was just 'water' she felt at its surface. Then came an even more daunting task. Between her and her destination was a lake of water, only navigable by stones that floated on its surface and constantly moved. Long yet fascinating story short: The sight of a naturally off-balanced young woman leaping from rock to rock, frantically repositioning herself so she didn't fall in was on that every person should see before they die. Somehow though, she managed to make it to the other side—the large island with the dilapidated hut—without incident, though not without a few close calls.

She looked at the small house, run down and dark, hardly something she'd want to call 'home'. The door didn't work anymore, she didn't think it ever had, so she moved to the side where a curtain covered a hole in the wall.

Pushing it aside, she entered.

"Oh, hello, Yuffie, how nice to see you again," Merlin greeted, gently stroking his flowing snow white beard.

"Hi, Merlin!" she returned cheerfully. "I came to ask a favor."

"Oh, of course. But first, how about some tea?"

Yuffie shook her head, black hair tossing back and forth.

"Sorry, Mer, I don't have a lot of time. Aeryth needs my help with the baby, he's quite a handful." She plopped herself down on a straight back chair which immediately tried to buck her off, but she kicked its legs and it settled down.

"Just like his father," the old wizard observed, sitting down across from her.  
"Oh! I almost forgot. Give this to him, with my regards, won't you?"

He moved his hands around in an intricate pattern before closing them together. When they opened, a small ball of white-blue light appeared. It floated upwards, then exploded in a shower of shards. In its place flew a tiny crystal blue bird, which flew around the room several times, chirping, before coming to rest in front of the wide eyed Yuffie.

"Yes, sir!" she told him, her eyes still focused on the magical contraption.

"So, what is it you wanted to ask me?" Merlin asked, steepling his long bony fingers.

Yuffie's mouth twitched and she averted her eyes.

"It's…well, it has to do with Leon. We can't seem to call him on the space ship, and I'm worried. I was hoping you could look on your little ball thingamajig, and find out how he's doing." She looked hopefully at Merlin. His eyes were closed and he was nodding. At first she thought he was considering her question until he emitted a quiet snore.

"Merlin!" she exclaimed loudly. He started and opened his eyes, looking around surprised.

"What? What did I miss?"

Yuffie sighed.

"I just asked if we could look in your crystal ball to see Leon," she repeated.

"Oh, yes, yes, of course."

Yuffie shook her head and rolled her eyes. Merlin stood up and walked over to a bookshelf which kindly bent over so he could reach something on the top shelf. He pulled off a medium sized object, covered in a dark felt fabric.

Placing this on the table, he spoke to Yuffie.

"Now, I'll need a moments quiet while I locate him."

Yuffie nodded her understanding. The room darkened as he pulled the fabric from the glass ball, and peered into its surface. Yuffie held her breath. The furniture crept in closer, trying to get a peek. Merlin's brow furrowed in concentration, and he muttered a few words. Yuffie didn't see any change, but shadows and light played across the wizard's face. Suddenly, all the furniture in the room reared back with a screech, just as Merlin stood up and exclaimed:

"Oh, dear."

Yuffie stood up, too.

"What? What is it!"

"Uh, uh, how about some tea, dear?" he inquired, evasively.

Yuffie growled in frustration.

"I don't want tea, I want to know what's going on!"

But Merlin had already disappeared. Yuffie marched around the table so she could see what had scared everyone so much. She bent over the ball and stared.

Her eyes widened…

She screamed…

In exactly three minutes and twenty seven seconds she had run from Merlin's house (leaping over the floating stones as if they were nothing), all the way to the Small House in First District, and was flinging open the door.

The baby began to cry, but Yuffie didn't have time to bother with it.

"Where's Cid?" she demanded. Aeryth pointed outside, by the gate to Second District. Yuffie bolted out the door and up the short steps.

"Cid!" she called, desperately. The blonde haired engineer took the ever-present toothpick out of his mouth.

"Yeah?"

"We need to get a hold of Leon NOW!"

"And so, how are my two stalwart fighters?" Mirt asked, cheerfully. He looked between them. They glanced at each other then retreated to opposite ends of the ship. Mirt blinked a few times, making him resemble some grotesque giant fish.

"Well, in any case, I'm here to warn you about some opposition you may encounter. The treasure you're seeking is guarded by evil vile creatures called Guardians."

Leon saw, out of the corner of his eye, Paine jerk. His memory flashed to the creature on the Crash-and-Burn planet.

"They wouldn't happen to be gray creatures with really big mouths would they?" Leon queried. Mirt's smile faltered.

"Ah, I see you've met them."

Leon held up a finger. "One."

Mirt's smile grew wider, if exponentially faker.

"Then, good, now you know what you're up against."

Leon's cobalt eyes flattened. He crossed his arms and leaned against a wall.

"So now that we've come this far, you wanna tell us what we're after?"

Mirt shifted, uncomfortably.

"Well, actually, I can only discuss that with the Warrior. You're just suppose to pilor her there."

Pain sucked in a breath. Leon, she knew, would not like that. She was proven right when Leon slowly walked to the holo-vid monitor and leaned in so his face was only centimeters from the screen.

"You listen to me. This is my ship, and I'm not taking her into one situation after another, just to shuffle your ward to a shopping center. You wanna keep secrets from me, I'll pump her out the airduct and you can come pick her up."

Paine was learning to recognize the voice as 'Dangerous Leon'. It became a low guttural growl like the lion he wore around his neck. She had no doubt he would make good his thread. She decided it was up to her to salvage the situation so she forced herself forward and put a hand on Leon's shoulder. He turned and fixed her with a fiery glare, but she just pulled him back so she could talk to Mirt.

"So far, Leon's help has been necessary and invaluable. There's no question in my mind that I'm going to need to depend on his fighting capabilities to help me acquire the treasure. Anything you say to me can be said in his presence."

Leon stared at her, trying to read her face, but she was almost as good at blankness as he was. Mirt shrugged, apparently unconcerned.

"It's called the Stigmon. It's a small gold object that gives its bearer incredible power. Its origins and initial purpose has been lost to antiquity. It is held in an archaic temple on a dead world. The Guardians stole it from its original resting place and now they horde it away and will protect and keep it at any cost. You must retrieve it from them."

Leon seemed less than enthusiastic.

"And exactly how far are we from this dead world?" he asked, obviously wondering how much longer he would have to be in Paine's presence. To be honest, she was ready for this mission to be over, as well, it had already cost her more time and energy that she had wanted to invest. The entire speech she had just made had been done through gritted teeth, and swallowing her hard earned prize was not something she wanted experience again.

"Not far, only a—ew---sec---ay," Mirt's face began to distort and break up, his words becoming garbled. Paine looked at Leon.

"What's going on?" she asked. He shook his head, uncertain. Finally, the screen went completely dark, but only for a moment. Then Yuffie's worried face appeared.

"Leon! Paine! Are you alright?" she inquired, gripping her head with her hands. Leon's brow creased.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't we be?"

"It's a lie! The whole mission! You've got to get out of there! They don't want to preserve the artifact, they want to use it and when they do, they'll—ll—ryone! Y—st—ou—there!" Now Yuffie was breaking up, static and noise interfering with her message.

The screen not only went black…it exploded, raining hot sparks down on the two very confused warriors. Paine turned and put her arms up, to shield herself from the blast. When the electrical storm had quieted, they looked at the damage navigrid screen. It had been completely decimated. She looked at Leon.

"Did you get all that?" she asked, still trying to fix it all in her own head. He didn't answer, just stared into nothingness.

"_What happened? How did the ninja thief get through?" _The Master hissed. Mirt trembled in the corner of the room.

"I…I-I don't know! I cut off communications from everyone but us! It shouldn't have been possible!" he cried, his voice warbling uncontrollably.

"_And now they know, the puppets have become aware of their strings. You must do everything in your power to eliminate them. Send in the other teams. And this time…no mistakes." _

Mirt hid his face in the wall, and waited for the shaking to stop.

"Think they got the message?" Yuffie wondered, her petite face becoming a gigantic frown. Cid shrugged uncertainly.

"Hard to say for sure. I knew there was a good reason I put that emergency line in there. Never thought I'd actually have to use it."

He saw Yuffie's expression of worry and guilt.

"Hey, kid, don't worry about it. Leon can handle himself. He'll be fine. I'm sure he'll do the right thing."

He turned back towards his shop before hesitating.

"At least, I'm almost sure."

Paine sat on the mat in the cargo hold. Leon leaned against the opposite wall, his face covered by a hand to his forehead.

"So what do we do now?" she finally asked, almost as concerned by the silence as she had been by Yuffie's message.

"We have no choice, now do we? We have to abort the mission. Go home."

Paine stood up.

"What do you mean we have no choice? You heard her, if they get hold of the Stigmon and use it, they could destroy everything!"

Leon shrugged as if to say 'Hey, that's someone else's problem'. Paine could only stare at him. This was the same man who had rescued a little girl, just cause she'd told him some half-cooked sob story? And now, when the fate of whole worlds rested in his hands, he was just going to shrug off the responsibility. She looked away, surprised by her own intense disappointment.

"Look," she finally managed to bring herself to say, "Just drop me off. Just put me down on the planet and you can go. Back to Severn, back to your world, wherever you want."

He snorted.

"Listen, I don't know if you noticed, but we don't know the location of the world. And-" he pointed towards the navigator's console, "-we have no way of finding it."

Paine hesitated.

"I know where it is," she stated. He looked at her through slit eyes.

"The closest world, the ONLY world, for long distances, is a dead one. It's been dead for so long that no one even remembers its name. But it is home to an ancient temple of a long forgotten religion."

"And do you remember the coordinates? I assume you acquired this knowledge from all your reading."

For a moment, Paine looked unsure, but then she nodded.

"Yes, I remember where it is."

He walked towards her, and she tensed. His dark eyes bored into her skull, as if he was trying to make sure he understood her true intentions.

"And do you really think you will be able to protect this treasure? Fighting off those…those _things _and whatever Mirt and his boss sends after you? Is it really _worth _it?"

She steeled her jaw and looked him squarely in the face.

"I will not let innocent people die because I stood by and did nothing. Not again."

He stared at her for a long time, his mind working out all the possibilities, all the strategies, costs and profits.

"Fine," he growled, and strode past her to the Pilot's chair. She breathed a silent sigh of relief, tucked her bag under a box, and followed him to the cockpit.

_He shouldn't have been surprised. But he was. For some reason, he had her pegged as the kind of person who would see reason, know when they were beat, and throw in the towel. And yet, she wanted to keep fighting. Not for profit or gain, but be cause it was THE RIGHT THING TO DO. Vaguely, he remembered when he had been like that, as well. It seemed like life times ago. Before SHE had died. And now, history was repeating itself, all over again. A woman, strong and beautiful, who was willing to die for a cause she believed in…had asked for his help. He had gladly given it before, and had been proven inadequate. Did he dare try again? What if he failed? No way could he handle the shame and guilt. So he would do exactly as she requested. He would drop her off, and then he would go home, no harm, no foul._

_But…what had she meant when she said 'Not again'?_


	13. Chapter 12

_The sky was a smoldering gray of convulsing rage._

_No, that wasn't right. It had been clear that day, bright and happy. There weren't any churning clouds and angry winds._

_Why was this different?_

_She stood there frozen, just like before._

_A flash of blonde hair, a glimpse of a care free smile._

"_Come on, grouchy pants. Let's just kill the fiends, get the goods and go home!"_

_Eyes of sea and sky, a kind warm smile._

_Wait. Something's wrong._

_But they didn't hear her, she couldn't call for them. Wait._

_They disappeared into the darkness. Thunder blundered across the air. It was the only sound in a world of stillness._

_Then the screaming started._

_She ran forward, dropping her sword in haste. A wall of solid rock rose up in front of her, blocking, halting, keeping her from reaching them. She pounded against it, scratching at it, willing to do anything to destroy and remove it. Rocks and pebbles tumbled off but the cliff remained. Tears formed, blinding her. She punched and kicked, yelling, frustrated, scared and angry. The rocks and the cliff began to bleed…_

_Now she couldn't move, her arms were bound to her side. She felt choked, exhausted and empty, and stumbled backwards. Something stopped her fall._

"Paine, stop."

Her eyes, as red from tears as anything else, opened slowly, fearfully. Twin ice storms drew her out, brought her to full consciousness. Leon studied her face, soaked with salty tears and sweat. Slowly, she reached up to feel stained cheeks. He waited for her to shut off, to close down inside and turn away. But this didn't happen. Instead, what he saw was shame.

'Are you alright?' was quite obviously a question bordering on idiocy so he stayed silent, strong hands still grasping her shoulders.

Paine's eyes left his face, which gave her full view of his torso, quite a sight.

"Oh," she said simply, seeing the red stains of blood running down the white fabric. She looked at her hands, skin and blood leaving no doubt as to what happened.

She was completely drained, even of guilt.

"Sorry," she muttered, hollowly.

Many worlds away, Mirt was considering his options. Running was not one of them. He knew—probably better than anyone else---that there was no distance you could run where the Master couldn't reach you, nowhere to hide.

The only thing he could do was go along with it, and there was always the world he was promised.

A world all his own. Yeah. Right, remember that.

Paine was sitting in the corner of the cargo hold, arms wrapped around her knees, staring into space through slit eyes, the black bag by her side. Leon leaned against the opposite corner in a fresh shirt but not a new mood. Paine's face was calm, clean now, dark and passive.

"It happened around two years ago. We were doing what we do best: finding spheres, getting into trouble. It had been a slow year, the fiends were all but extinct, the only ones left were kept in cages for entertainment or experimentation. At least, that's what we thought.

We'd gotten a hot tip about some sphere waves emanating from a cave in the Calm Land, so we went to check it out."

Paine laughed quietly in bitterness.

"Yuna said it would be our last run for a while. That we'd take a break, go somewhere and kick back. Just one more, then we'd be free."

Distantly, she knew that Leon had next to no idea what she was talking about, but she didn't feel the need nor the inclination to explain it to him.

"I had a bad feeling about the cave almost as soon as we landed. I don't know what it was, just a feeling of emanating evil. Rikku…she said I was just being grouchy. I couldn't…seem to get across to them what was wrong…so they went in without me."

She stopped, eyes still unseeing, or perhaps just not seeing what was there at the present time. Leon's face remained passive, except for his eyes that darkened with personal painful memories and regret.

"The shadows completely engulfed them, and they were gone for a while. I stayed behind, waiting for them to reemerge and tell me I was being foolish. But the didn't come back and the next thing knew there were screams echoing off the walls. I dropped my sword and ran in, not thinking, just trying to get them out."

She shuddered.

"I've never been in darkness so deep, so thick. Didn't take long for me to get completely lost. I could have walked in circles and I'd never know. Eventually, all I wanted was to get out." She swallowed hard, gearing herself up for the hardest part.

"I fell over something soft, and gashed my hand on a sharp rock. Blindly, I felt around…until I found the braid. I followed it up until I found her face, all there. I kept going and eventually found the other body. I think I stopped thinking at that point because I don't remember much.

The next thing I DO remember is standing over the two of them. The sun shone brightly on their bloody broken bodies. Someone showed a little mercy though: both of them had their eyes closed. I stayed there with them for—for hours before Brother and Buddy came to check up on us."

She looked up at him, eyes sharp as razors.

"I should have been there. I shouldn't have let them go, but I thought we were safe. I let my guard down and _they died_. How dare they, what right did they have to be stupid and get themselves killed!"

It was hard to tell who she was more angry at, them or herself. Paine turned her head to the right, facing the wall, eyes closed tightly to block out he pain.

He hadn't demanded that she explain herself, hadn't made a big deal over the fact she had ripped a good chunk out of his chest. All he had done was stand there, with an expression that was almost as recognizable as it was unreadable.

Maybe she figured he just wouldn't care if she told him, and that had taken the pressure off. He motioned towards the black bag.

"And what's in that?"

She looked towards it, having forgotten how perceptive he was. Jaw firmly set, she opened the bag. For a moment, she hesitated, a look of fear marring her features. Then she flipped it over, spilling its contents on the grated floor.

There were small orvs of light, most of them golden orange or blue. Leon marveled at how many of them there were: there had to be over twenty. They covered four other objects, which Paine gingerly withdrew from the pile.

One was a pair of daggers, crimson red with yellow, cog-like circles in the handles. The blades were wickedly curved; obviously made for speed and agility more than strength. Paine held them for a moment, then put them down at her side.

The next pair of weapons she brought out were quite different. Two pistols, predominantly silver, made for smaller hands. It appeared that once upon a time they had been shiny and clean but time and tragedy had dulled their glow. Paine held these in her lap, staring. Leon observed her, wrestling with his own thoughts and feelings.

"Paine, it wasn't your-"

"Don't you DARE say it wasn't my fault," she growled, darkly. His mouth closed. Her eyes were a frightening shade of bloody red, the same eyes he had seen on feral animals.

"Don't…you…DARE," she repeated, through gritted teeth.

Time slowed down, the air was thick with absolute nothingness. The spell was broken by the red light and klaxon call of the sirens.

"We're coming up to the dead planet. I need to control the ship," Leon told her. He looked into the cockpit for a moment then looked back. He was mildly shocked at the change. Paine didn't really stand up as much as she unfolded, eyes closed until she was upright. Then eyes opened, dark, determined and unreadable again. Her shoulders were squared, her head high and daring. She was closed off again and had even had time to erect some new walls in the brief moment he had glanced away. She was all business again with a job that needed to be done and the willpower to do it. He wasn't sure which version concerned him more.

It was impossible to see the surface of the dead planet, it was covered in a perpetual storm, the clouds black and green.

Thunder roared a warning that no sane person should attempt to traverse the danger fraught sky. But Leon knew he could handle it, as long as the ship wasn't directly hit by a lightning bolt.

"Strap in," he ordered, and Paine immediately obeyed.

They screamed downward through the atmosphere like a falcon in the dive.


	14. Chapter 13

A silver star shrieked as it fell through the atmosphere and dense storm clouds of a dead planet. It left behind a tail of streaking orange flame. Lightning darted around, taunting it, booming their snide laughter. Inside the burning jerking mass, two individuals were dealing with their own problems.

Leon was struggling to maintain control of his ship. The equipment wasn't responding properly and now besides free falling, the ship was going almost straight down.

His face had grown shiny from perspiration but he ignored it. The muscles in his arms stood out from tension and his jaw was clenched in concentration.

Visibility was zero; all he could see was green gray clouds, flashes of white light and a sea of fire that surrounded the small craft. A few moments more and the wings would snap off. After that, it wouldn't be long before the hull melted.

Behind him, hands clenched on the arm rests, eyes closed as the ship tossed and bounced, Paine was reliving and remembering.

"_How would you like to go on a real adventure? Not just wandering from town to town getting into bar fights, but a true fight with real danger."_

"_So you've really never left your planet? What was it called, Spiral?"  
_"_Spira. And no, I'd never left before. I didn't even know there was any reason to leave."_

"_Tell me about the Keyblade Master."_

"_Did they betray you?"  
_"_Yes, they betrayed me."_

"_Take care of the big guy for me, will ya?"_

"_I don't think it's as black and white as all that…"  
_"_Sure it is. Good is good and evil is evil. There's no two ways about it."_

"_What bothers you more? That I could be in her room? Or that I'm not in yours?"_

"_It's called the Stigmon. It gives its bearer incredible power."  
_"_It's a lie! The whole mission! You have to get out of there!"_

The muscles in her jaw twitched. She HATED being lied to. And yet, it seemed like this whole mission had just been one big con. And the one thing she hated more than being lied to was being used.

Leon sucked in a breath and Paine opened her eyes.

They had cleared the cloud layer.

What greeted them though, was an almost even more bizarre sight. The planet itself was upside down. At least, that's the way it appeared. The Temple was on the underside of the land mass, and it seemed like an ocean separated the air from the land. Panic gripped Paine as she wondered how they were going to get through.

The light flashed again, and suddenly, the world had flipped over, becoming 'right side up'. So it had taken another turn for the strange. By now, Paine didn't think she could take much more oddity, but then, with all she'd seen, 'odd' didn't mean much.

The ring of fire around the ship dissipated now that they were through the atmosphere, though the hull was steaming, and the wings had become deformed.

"I'm going to try and hit the water!" Leon informed her, "But no promises that won't be just as bad."

Paine nodded her understanding even though he couldn't see her. She wished that she was as sure as she looked that she was doing the right thing. But then again…someone had to do it.

They kept falling, so fast, spiraling out of control. Leon grunted against the controls, trying to get the wings up, to even out the craft so that it didn't do a total nosedive. The ocean rushed up to greet them, rolling and crashing. The dead planet had only the one island with the temple. Everything else was just dark water.

Just as they were only a dozen feet from the surface, he managed to raise the wings just enough that they slowed down, and crashed at a fraction of their original force.

It was still enough to make Paine's strap snap and as her head struck the navigation console, her last thought was the hope they didn't sink to the bottom of a turbulent sea on a nameless planet.


	15. Chapter 14

If all of Leon's mental capacities had been at full strength, namely his infamous cynicism, he would have sworn she did it on purpose.

"If you'd stayed conscious, you would have seen we only hit seven feet deep water, right by the shoreline. But, no. You just had to go and get yourself hurt and now I've got to get you off the ship by hand."

It shouldn't have been future tense, considering he was already in the process of lifting and pulling her out the emergency top hatch. Blood was dripping down her forehead, into her eyes and below her cheeks. He tried to keep it back, but it was really starting to worry him, it just wouldn't stop.

He'd already pulled out both their weapons and laid them on the black rock sand beach. It was hard manhandling her up the hatch ladder, and as he stood on top of his ship, pulling upwards, he overcompensated, slipped, sending of them backwards off the metal ship and into the shallow waters. Leon rolled over, trying to get his breath back. He pushed lank dark hair out of his face and got his bearings. He found Paine face down in the water a few feet away. He stepped over to her and got on his knees, rolling her over and elevating her head. He lowered face, putting his ear new her open mouth and nose and prayed.

"Come on," he muttered, hoarsely, "This is your mission, not mine. Your holy crusade and I'm not going to do it for you. Come on, you're stronger than this. Wake up."

He pulled back and glared at her sleeping face. Pulling her up, he cradled her torso and tried to grasp her head, which flopped backwards. One hand under her back and one under her head, he shook her gently (at least, as gently as he could). He looked around, searching for anything that could help, but there was nothing. He looked down at her again and closed his eyes.

"I can't fight this battle for you."

She sucked in a strong breath and arched her beak, coming forward. He nearly dropped her in surprise, but managed to maintain his grasp. He wiped the last line of blood from her face.

Paine opened aching crimson eyes. The first thing she saw was black sky. The second thing she saw was a wet blank faced Leon.

Her mind felt muddy and slow and she tried to assimilate everything as quickly as possible but it was sluggish.

"We made it?" surprised. Leon nodded.

"Yeah. We made it."

He helped her to her unsteady feet. Lightning flashed and suddenly they were looking DOWN at the sky.

"This…could take some getting use to," Leon observed. Even upside down it wasn't hard to locate the huge Temple, the only structure on the whole surface of the planet. Walking took a little recalibrating, but they got the hang of it. They were a little over halfway there when the world righted itself again. Paine's stomach flipped a few times and she made a false step, throwing her balance off. Leon's arm shot out and caught her before she fell forward. Immediately, she regained her balance and backed away.

"Sorry, all the blood rushing to my head is-"

"I know."

It was silent the rest of the way, save for the barking of the sky.

From far away, the Temple had just looked large. Up close, it was MASSIVE. The high black wood façade faded into the back round, adding to its immense appearance. Paine felt like an insect in front of its ancient beauty. A gigantic round stained glass window dominated the front of the Temple, but it was impossible to see the design in the darkness. The doors were faded, but reached thirty-five feet high. Large, ornate silver knockers and knobs accented the black, but these were rusted and grimy. There were a few pillars still standing, but most had corroded into dust, leaving only a few misshapen remnants.

Paine gingerly reached out and grasped one of the door handles. She was sure it would disintegrate under her touch, yet when she pulled on it, she found it was still strong, and gave resistance. She looked up at Leon, with a silent question. He nodded, and together, they pulled the heavy mahogany door open. Dust exploded outwards as an air seal, not broken for centuries, disappeared.

The two warriors hesitated, staring into the absolute darkness. Paine felt a deep cold settle in the base of her spine. So dark, so deep, so silent. Leon was scrutinizing her, trying to discern if she could do it. Well, she would, if only to prove him wrong.

One moment more, then together, they strode into the darkness.

It wasn't as dark as it had at first appeared. There were windows, they were just covered with grime and dirt accumulated for centuries. This made it difficult to see, but light did shine through, giving the interior of the Temple an eerie tan sheen. Shadows crept up the walls, shifted and twisted. Leon's nerves were on edge, there was constant motion, making it impossible to detect what was innocuous and what could be dangerous. Paine, oddly enough seemed perfectly calm, not in the least uneasy. Leon wondered how she did it.

There were tables on both sides of the Fellowship Hall, with what looked like candles and food bowls. At one time, a feast would have been laid out here. Paine thought if she closed her eyes, she'd be able to hear the sound of people talking, conversing and laughing. This was a place where people felt safe, where they left their worries at the door. So what had happened to it?

At the end of the Fellowship Hall was another set of doors, not quite as large, but just as impressive. Leon and Paine strode up to it, having seen no other side doors. Again, they pulled together, but this time, the apparatus wouldn't budge. They strained against it, pushing and pulling. Finally, they stopped, exhausted and drained.

"Do you think it needs a key?" Paine asked, waiting for her breathing to level out. Leon's eyes were narrow.

"I've got the key right here," he muttered, raising his sword and bringing it crashing down on the door, which splintered into a dozen pieces. Paine shook her head.

"Thanks, I think we've just informed the Guardians that we're here. Well done."

Leon's mouth twitched, guiltily, but he just strode in. She followed behind him, her sword at the ready.

The room smelled stale and old, the air was still. It was oppressive, the kind of dark silence that made you face your own mortality. Paine felt her heart palpitate and in the deep silence, she was sure everyone could hear it. Leon looked at her sideways.

"It's alright," he said, simply. She gritted her teeth.

"I'm fine," she barked. Now, she couldn't see him at all, no light came in. Every time she took in a breath, she got a mouth full of dust. Memories, sharp and painful came at her, and she stopped. She didn't want to call, didn't want him to know she was nervous, but now she didn't even know where he was. She moved forward again, trying to press on.

She held her breath, almost choking. Her forehead itched, threatening to break into a sweat. She clutched her sword tighter. A noise off to the side made her tenser than she already was. She turned towards it, but direction had no real meaning in the absolute dark. Another noise behind her. She stopped moving altogether, and calmed herself.

Something grabbed her arm and she almost chopped it off. Her sword hovered above the appendage latched onto her, as her wrist was locked in place.

"It's just me," Leon informed her, pushing her sword away from his arm. She surprised herself by how relieved she was.

He kept his hand on her shoulder, and they kept going. It made her wonder whether it was for her benefit or for his own. Now she was in front, which meant she would be skewered first if something was waiting for them. _Great, _she thought, _I'm a shield. _She imagined his stony expression, trying to decipher what he was thinking. _Who are you really trying to protect? Yourself or me…?_ The same question could have been asked of her, but she didn't think about it. The dimensions of the room probably weren't that large, but it was so dark, it seemed a long while before they ran into a wall.

Paine reached out with gloved hands, and felt along for a door handle, a window…anything to give them direction.

"I think I found something," she said eventually. Leon didn't answer, and she realized she couldn't feel him anymore.

"Leon?" she called, looking around (an exercise in futility). His voice came quietly out of the darkness.

"I think we have company."

His back was against hers and he was searching the black for movement. Paine turned, scrabbling for whatever she had felt. It seemed to be a door handle, and she pushed down.

She heard Leon yell as the floor gave way beneath them.

"_It'd be like trying to warm an ice cube."_

"_No. It would be like trying to embrace a razor-sharp blade."_

_"A misogynistic arrogant-"_

He had the advantage. At least his head was pointed upwards. He could see her now, dimly. She was a little bit beneath him, in the opposite position, her head tilted towards the ground, making her fall faster. He could see her eyes were closed, but her expression was peaceful and calm. She seemed content to just…fall.

Well, he wasn't going to give up so easily. He looked around, trying to see handholds on the sides of whatever chute they were tumbling down. But what he could see of the walls—admittedly not much—showed them to be smooth, no crevices or indentations. He couldn't tell how fast they were falling, but the abrupt stop probably would likely be less than pleasant. He glanced at Paine again.

_I should say something. Goodbye, at least._

But there were two problems with this. One: he wasn't ready to give up yet, and saying goodbye would be like admitting defeat, something he'd never quite gotten the hang of. And two…what would he say? His mind drew a total blank. Talking…another thing he'd never quite gotten the hang of.

Paine's snapped open. She twisted her body around, and saw her sword a few feet below her, falling straight down. She pulled in her arms, making herself straighter, and increasing her velocity. When she was close enough, she reached out and grabbed her sword. She swung her legs beneath her, bringing her huge sword up with her. With a grunt of effort, she rammed the blade into the wall, trying to stop, or at least slow herself down. Leon caught on and attempted to do the same thing.

He was a little more successful, catching his on the first try. With lightning reflexes, he jerked his arm down, and caught Paine by the back of her armor before she kept falling. Her sword was just scratching off the surface and she hadn't been able to lodge it.

They held there for a moment, in perpetual stillness: Him holding onto the Gunblade with one arm, the other below him, holding her now by a gloved arm. She looked up and gave a nervous smile.

"Nice catch."

"Don't mention it," he answered, breathlessly. They looked down at the same time. They had just made it. Another few feet and they would have splattered on the ground. Paine let go of Leon's arm and let herself fall the rest of the way. She hit the ground, rolled and got back up with barely a scratch. Leon pushed his foot against the wall, dislodging the Gunblade and landed on his feet. Paine rolled her eyes. _Show off._

He gave her a self-satisfied smile and she glowered in return. Their minds returned to the business at hand as they examined their new surroundings.

It looked like they were in some kind of cave. They were standing on solid ground, but it was a thin strip of rock. A network of these tunnels and ledges crisscrossed over an open chasm that was so deep the bottom was obscured. Leon kicked a rock off the edge and they waited. No sound returned.

"Watch your step," Leon warned in mock seriousness.

"Watch yourself, or I may just push you," Paine shot back. He raised an eyebrow, trying to decide if she was serious or not. She moved past him, determined to press forward.

It reminded her of the tree roads of Macalania woods, the way they all connected. The paths were very narrow, only four feet or so across, narrower in some places. And there were hundreds of them, yet they all came to the same place.

On the other side of the cavern was a wide opening, too far to see from where Paine and Leon were. There was no doubt, however, that it was their destination.

Paine went first, it being so thin they had to walk single file. Somewhere, water was dripping, an incessant 'clinking' noise. Other than that, it was silent.

Paine tried her best not to look down. There were dozens more ledges and paths beneath and she'd probably hit one before she fell in the chasm, but it wouldn't help much. It was slow going, one false step equaling an inglorious death with a long drop for you to think of how idiotic you were.

They were almost all the way across when they saw the first one.

A Guardian.

It snarled at them, baring razor fangs. Leon had no doubt that these were the true keepers of the Stigmon, and he hoped Paine knew it, too. She seemed to have the right idea however, not immediately getting defensive. Instead, she put a hand out, a peaceful gesture.

"Please, wait. We mean you no harm. Your secret has been discovered and there are evil people coming to steal your treasure. Please, let us take it with us, to keep it safe. Please."

Her tone was docile and taming and for a moment, the gray creature seemed ready to back down. Instead, it raised its head and sent a low-pitched moan-scream into the air that bounced off the cavern walls. It was answered by dozens more voices, which was when Paine and Leon realized they were surrounded. Paine never took her eyes off the Guardian in front, though Leon's head swiveled all over, trying to gauge how many more enemies had just joined them.

"Don't make me hurt you," she growled, her eyes dark and narrow. It barked at them again, and rushed forward, razor claws outstretched.

"Fine," she muttered simply, raising her sword high above her head.

It was like a white flood. They came from all over, some crawling on the ceilings, some going up the walls, and jumping off stalactites, all screaming and growling. They came from all directions, converging on where Leon and Paine stood back to back. There were no fancy moves, no special techniques, it was pure hack-and-slash. They tried to move forward, cutting a path through the massive gray forms, but for every one they took down, it seemed that three more took their place.

The situation was made exponentially worse when the ground beneath them began to tremble. The Guardians stopped for a moment, thrown into a state of confusion.

Leon and Paine locked eyes. Silently, they said the same thing.

_They're here. They found us._

Time was running out, they had to get to the Stigmon and get out before they were 1) ripped apart by the Guardians, 2) thrown into the abyss by the shaking earth (probably caused by one of the other teams using explosives to blow their way down to the Treasure room), or 3) killed by the Master's henchmen. No scenario sounded particularly enjoyable.

Paine and Leon used the Guardian's temporary confusion to leap over their heads and bolt for the opening. They made it in, and something closed behind them. They stopped for a moment to catch their breath. Outside, they could hear the creatures tearing at the stone door that had just dropped.

"It won't hold them for long," Leon observed, and motioned for them to keep going. All along the wall, a row of torches burned eternally, giving them plenty of light. Every few moments the ground would convulse, making them stop to maintain their balance.

The two fighters rounded a corner—and stopped. Another doorway lay open before them. Inside, they could just make out a golden glow.

_The Stigmon._

Leon looked at Paine, who nodded. An especially violent explosion rocked the ground and the two were thrown forward, face-planting on the harsh rock ground. They heard the door behind them shatter and knew that it wouldn't be long before the Guardians would come pouring in. They struggled to their feet and made a dash for the Treasure Room. Just outside the doorway, Leon stopped. Paine halted and spun.

"Leon, what are you doing?" she demanded, as he turned towards the corridor. He turned his head to look at her.

"You go for it, I'll hold them off."

Paine swallowed hard as her eyes widened. She shook her head. Leon clenched his jaw.

"We don't have time to argue about this, dammit. They'll be here in a moments. This is YOUR mission, you have to finish it. I-when you get out, get to the ship and get off this cursed world."

Now there was something Paine could argue with.

"But I don't know how to drive the ship!"

"It's simple, just say her name and she'll do whatever you want."

Paine glanced down the corridor. Shadows had started to appear on the walls, thrown around by the firelight.

"But I don't know her name."

Leon didn't answer, he seemed to be struggling with something. Finally, he whispered, so low she barely heard him.

"It's _Rinoa_."

Paine wanted to ask the significance, but she knew now wasn't the time. Leon took a deep breath.

"Now, go. There's no need for us both to stay here, and to get the prize. I did my part: I got you to the Treasure Room. The rest is up to you."

_But the prize belongs as much to you as it does to me, _she wanted to say, but she knew it was pointless. There was no arguing with him once he'd made up his mind. The Guardians were getting closer, they'd be on them in a matter of moments. Paine looked over her shoulder. It was right there, RIGHT THERE. She looked back at Leon, staring into his fate.

_Just do it, _a voice whispered inside her. But first-

She rushed forward, covering the distance between them in three steps. In that time, he'd spun around. They met halfway, and embraced. He leaned down, bringing his face close to hers. It was a good kiss, but was over too soon, as a cry of a creature brought them screeching back to reality. He shoved her backwards, forcefully.

"Go."

She held his gaze a moment longer as the first Guardian rounded the corner, leaving deep talon marks in the wall. Then she turned and ran to the Treasure room. As she cleared the doorway, another stone door began to descend. He was still watching her as the gray slab lowered. Behind him, a swarm of Guardians ran, crawled and almost flew. Her face was a mask of torment and split-decision.

The last thing she heard before he was completely obscured by the rock was:

"Don't forget me."

Then she was alone. She took a shuddering breath and turned around slowly. The glow was brighter now that she was actually in the Treasure room. She took a few faltering steps forward. There was a raised area in the middle of the room, an altar it looked like.

She walked up the steps leading to the altar and found the chest on top of it. It was such a banal looking box, just a regular brown chest, made of wood and metal. There was no lock.

With trembling hands she lifted the lid and beheld what so much had been sacrificed for…

Coming up next:

THE FINAL CHAPTER


	16. Final Chapter

_(Author's Note: And so we've reached the end. It's been a fun journey, getting this idea, starting to write and getting awesome reviews. I'm telling you guys, if it wasn't for your support and encouragement (and occasional hate mail ;)) I would have given this up a long time ago.  
I've had a lot of fun writing this, and I just want to apologize for taking so long between posts. I'm sure I've lost some of my favorite fans due to my negligence, but you guys know how it is. That sillly thing called life keeps getting in the way. So, I present to you, the final chapter. This is the first story I think I've EVER completed.  
That's a joke. This isn't the end. Oh, sure, the end of this story, but...there could be more later. Read the note at the end and see.  
One last thing: this chapter is very religious heavy in the beginning. It's not meant to be any particular religion, but I think you'll all agree that many video games have some religious overtones. It's not meant to offend anyone, and I hope it doesn't.  
Now stop listening to me babble, and read THE FINAL CHAPTER)  
_

_ In the beginning…_

All stories have a beginning. What most don't realize is that few actually have endings. Oh, true, a chapter may be completed with the death of a character, but if you back up a few steps, you will see how THIS person affected THAT person and so the tale moves on. All is connected.

Every moment of every day there is a new beginning. Yet, it will be a long while before a True Ending.

Still-

_In the beginning, there was darkness. Then there was light. The first pure, true light, which banished all forms of darkness. _

_All other forms of light come forth from this light but the original was fractured and scattered throughout a black universe._

_Not all was lost to oblivion, though. For reasons of His own, the LightMaker held a shard, which He placed inside a crystal and then left on a young world. It was found, thankfully by powers of good, who forged a special object made of precious metal to house this most cherished treasure._

_**They called it the Stigmon.**_

_It had been hidden from those who would use its power for destruction. Safeguarded for centuries, it had existed only in legend and whispered tales._

She wouldn't have believed such a thing existed if she hadn't been staring at it. The metallic part was silver and made of an uneven 'x' shape, like a cross. In the center, shining so bright her eyes burned, was a clear crystal, burning with inner fire. Her breath caught as she examined it. It wasn't very large, about the span of her hand, yet she could feel strength radiating from it. Her fingers inched towards it. Suddenly, a violent explosion rocked the ground, making her struggle to retain her balance. It wouldn't be long before they—the other teams—would find their way down here.

She looked around the Treasure room for an alternate route. In the back there was another doorway, smaller, easily missed. She turned to study the Stigmon again. How was she to transport it? She knelt down and examined the altar, hoping it would give a clue, anything useful. There were etchings, some two inches deep, going all the way around the stone structure. It told the story, the origins and purpose of this treasure. There were words, written in arcane script—long flowing letters and symbols from a language that had long since disappeared from mortal knowledge. Yet it wasn't hard to decipher the meaning, as there were pictures, beautifully carved into the rock. It spoke of a very special individual who would be keeper of the Stigmon's power, though they wouldn't be able to harness it until-this was harder to make out. There was some kind of catalyst, something that had to happen before the power of the Stigmon could be tapped. Paine's head was pounding, as much from the roaring of her blood, the rumbling of the room and her frustration at the whole situation.

A 'ping!' went off above her head, and light flooded the previously dark room. Slowly, she rose, half blinded by the intensity. Along the walls, she could now see more pictographs, more stories, left here for centuries, unseen, undisturbed. She rotated on her heel, taking it all in. The walls were awash with silver light, throwing out all forms of shadow from the corners to the ceiling. But the show didn't end there.

Even impaired, her eyes widened as the Stigmon rose of its own accord until it was face level. It rotated in the air, giving her a three hundred sixty-degree view of its magnificence. Suddenly, her sword arm jerked forward, raising her blade straight out in front of her. Her whole arm began to burn and tremble. Almost lazily, the silver cross lowered, and the closer it got to her sword, the fiercer her arm burned, until she had to cry out in pain. It set itself into the blade, right below the skull motif. This was almost too much for Paine as a flash of shrieking agony skated up her arm and down her spine. She dropped her sword, but it didn't hit the ground. Instead, it floated about three inches off of it. She cradled her aching appendage as another earth shattering shake rumbled. Then she leaned down and picked up her weapon. It felt like it was a part of her, just another extension of her being.

She looked up. There was…a skylight of some kind. A hole that led all the way to the surface, too small for any person to get through, but enough to let her see the stars.

_Thank you, _she silently whispered, to whoever might be listening. She felt that she'd been given some great honor…but it had come at such a sacrifice. She turned all the way around and looked at the doorway she'd come through, now closed off.

Could he have survived? Surely against odds such as that, even the toughest warrior-yet, somehow, she couldn't bring herself to believe that he would have fallen so easily. In fact, she knew with absolute CERTAINTY that he was still out there, somewhere, fighting in the darkness.

She took a resolute step forward, and stumbled. The shaking was coming more and more frequently, and getting more violent. Rocks had begun to tumble from the ceiling and strike the floor with disturbing velocity. Several of these large chunks dropped in front of the door. Now there was no way she could get out there in time, not without being crushed herself. She looked back at the still open doorway.

Paine closed her eyes, hating everything. _It wasn't fair. _She ran, eyes still half-closed to the smaller door as more and more stones, some boulder sized, crashed into the ground. There she stopped and took one final look back.

_I will find you again someday. Soon._

She disappeared into the darkness as the entire cavern fell in on itself.

_She couldn't see anything, all was dark around her. And then she remembered. She was a bearer of True Light. She raised her sword above her head. There was no noticeable difference, and yet she could see. Her arm still felt the lingering sensation of silver fire, but now she also felt the channeling of something…other than herself. _

_She turned corners, went down steep inclines. For a moment, she panicked. She didn't want to go farther down, she wanted to go up. Back to the sky, back to the light, away from the imposing stone walls of the Temple. Every so often she would hear a shriek, then all was silent. The rumbling wouldn't stop and running was almost impossible. She fell to her knees, sharp stones digging into knees and hands. She drew herself up, no thoughts in her head other than escape and survival._

Suddenly, as if the darkness had never even existed, she found herself out in the open air. Above, the storm still raged, though not as ferociously. No, all the destruction was inward. She stumbled and staggered but made it far enough to be able to turn and see the whole Temple. At least what was left of it. The beautiful window had shattered, the ornate doors had splintered and the whole structured had collapsed. She felt a swell of loss. It had been a marvelous building, arcane and ancient. And now it was gone forever, destroyed by greed and the lust for power. Falling in on itself to protect its ward. A martyr for its cause. She saluted it in silence then sprinted to the beach.

The ship was still there, half covered in water. She hoped it would be able to get off this rock. A sight caught her eye. There were two more ships, in perfect condition. How they had managed to get through the storm safely bewildered her, but the scene gave her comfort. If…WHEN he got out…he would at least be able to get off too. It never crossed her mind to take any other ship than his. She felt that she owed it to him.

She climbed into the hatch on the top of the ship. She almost thought she could hear the silver starship groan. It, the ship-she KNEW. She knew something was wrong with her Pilot. And that whoever was now sitting in his seat didn't belong there.

Paine ran her gloved hand along the sides, getting a feel for it. She didn't know where or if there was some kind of voice command box, but she leaned forward anyway and whispered hoarsely:

"_Rinoa_."

The whole ship twitched and trembled, seemingly in protest. Paine grabbed the armrests, trying not to fall out of the seat.

"Now, wait. Please. If we don't leave now, we'll both be destroyed. He'll be all right. _Rinoa, _listen to me, we have-"

The lights of the Pilots console lit up, and Paine felt the engines start.

Shakily, and with a few false starts, the ship began to rise. A fiery explosion rose from where the Temple once stood, turning the entire area into a crater. It almost sounded like singing…or screaming, as shrapnel and debris shot upward, pushed by flame and wind. Now, there would be nothing left.

Paine held onto the steering controls, pulling away from the wreckage, shutting off her mind from the possibilities. He was all right. He was a stubborn arrogant fool and he wouldn't let a little thing like certain death get the best of him.

She was almost completely sure. Almost.

The ship rose into the atmosphere with less drama than it had descended. Paine poured as much fuel as she could into the receptor, hoping it would be enough to get her…where? She had no idea where to go, where to stop. But she bet _Rinoa _did.

She wiped her hands off on her pants and sat back down in the Pilots seat. In no direction in particular, she said:

"Take us home."

**_Four Days Later_**

_She didn't recognize the world. It was teeming with life, people walking back and forth with no fear of danger. She'd walked into what looked like a Town square, after coming through a huge mahogany door. A few people regarded her strangely, but then went about their business. A strange creature walked across the square, something she recognized. A moogle! She didn't know they existed anywhere else than Spira. She blinked at it a few times when someone came up behind her._

"Excuse me. You look lost."

The voice made her defensive almost immediately. It reminded her of HIS: that kind of quiet threat that she knew better than to ignore. Looking unconcerned, she turned. Besides voice, the individual in front of her and Leon had nothing in common except for gender. He wasn't quite as tall, and instead of shoulder length dark hair, his hair was blonde and shot out from his head at all sorts of weird angles.

She readjusted her earlier assessment. They actually had two other things in common. Blue eyes…and very large swords. Though, instead of a Gunblade, this one was wider, almost as tall as the man himself, and wrapped in some kind of off-white material. She didn't want to imagine what that could do to a body, and the individual holding it definitely looked like he knew how to use it.

"What's it to you?" she asked, flippantly, fingering her own, amped up weapon. The man shrugged nonchalantly.

"Nothing really. Just though maybe I could help. You see," he said, lifting his sword and resting it on his shoulder like it was a fashion accessory, "we get a little suspicious of strangers who come in, carrying weapons. Especially when we notice that they got here in our friend's ship. ESPECIALLY, when no one has heard from him in a disconcertingly long time."

Paine opened her mouth to answer when a voice, again behind her, made her spin around.

"Paine!"

There was no mistaking the high pitched squeal.

"Yuffie!" she called back. The sable haired ninja dashed down some steps and across the square. Before she could reach Paine though, the blonde haired man stepped between them. Yuffie all but ricocheted off his arm.

"Cloud! Let me go, she's a friend!" she whined, tugging on his outstretched appendage. Cloud's eyes narrowed.

"You're the Warrior?"

Paine nodded silently. Yuffie looked up at him.

"Okay, do you believe me now! Now, let me go."

Cloud put his arm down. Yuffie threw her arms around Paine's neck. For her part, Paine didn't react much, just stood there while Yuffie managed to get out, _in one breath:_

"Oh my word, you wouldn't believe it, we were so worried, when we couldn't get a hold of you, and then these people came looking for you and we called and called, and then suddenly we detected the ship coming in and I knew it had to be you, I totally knew it, but what happened to you guys, where have you been!"

Cloud put a hand on a breathless Yuffie's shoulder.

"I only want to know one thing," he told her. "Where's Leon?"

Paine hung her head, regretfully.

"He…he fought them off so I could complete the mission. I don't know if he made it or not."

At first, she was afraid they'd demand to know why she didn't stay and look for him, but instead they just digested her words silently.

"Come on," Cloud finally said, motioning for Paine to follow. All the air seemed to have gone out of Yuffie, she was no longer bubbling with barely checked excitement. Paine felt truly sorry, more sorry then than she had ever felt before.

They led her to a small house, where she met two more people. One was an abrasive man, humorously enough, named Cid. He even reminded Paine of Rikku's dad, they had similar voices and mannerisms, though this Cid definitely had more hair, held up by a bandana wrapped around his head. The other individual in the house was introduced to Paine as Aeryth, and she too, reminded Paine of someone. Soft features, kind eyes and a serene smile.

They had Paine stand in the middle of the room while the rest sat on chairs or the bed that rested against the wall.

Quickly, giving only the bare facts, Paine went over their adventure and all the things that had transpired.

How they had been commissioned by Mirt, how they had crashed onto a planet where they met with less than welcome, the reunion Sevren (Paine enjoyed watching Yuffie's expression switch between revolt and then glee when she heard of how Paine had held a sword to the redhead's throat), fighting a Guardian, getting the message from Yuffie, finding the dead planet and the Temple and then finally, their last stand.

A few times, one of them would break in with a question, or Cid would make some comment like, "What an idiotic foolhardy thing to do, sounds just like him" before he would be loudly hushed, leaving him to mutter to himself.

When she had finished, she stepped back and walked outside to let them converse among themselves. This was a strange place, far different than her world. It was always dark, giving her a full view of the stars…and worlds. She wondered if any of those she saw winking on and off was a world she had seen. She decided she'd have to become more accustomed to other worlds or she'd get left behind. Eventually, she was called back in. Cid spoke first.

"Before we tell you what we've decided, we want to hear from you. What is it that you plan to do?"

She looked each one in the eye in turn.

"I know that you don't know me very well. And that you have only my word to go on, and I am sorry that we had to meet under these circumstances. But no matter what conclusion you've come to, I have already made my decision. I am going to go look for him. If he's still on the dead planet, then I will find him. If he's not-"she shrugged, "Then I'll keep looking."

Yuffie's smile reached from ear to ear.

"See? I TOLD you she'd say that."

Paine winked at her while no one was looking. Cid removed the ever-present toothpick from his mouth.

"Alright, then. But you won't be able to take Leon's ship, it's too banged up. I'll work on it, I mean, heck, I built the dang thing. But you're goin' to have to find yourself a new ship and likely a new pilot. And I would suggest gettin' yourself some more muscle. If everything you've told us is true, you've made some powerful enemies. Now, I'm not sayin' you can't handle yourself, but it never hurts to be cautious. You got all that?"

Paine nodded, silently. A thought seemed to occur to Cloud.

"I have a good idea where you can find another fighter."

_**Two weeks later**_

Another day, another world, another dark alley. She'd been down a dozen more just like it, smelly, dank. But maybe this one would be different, not just another dead end. Maybe she'd have finally found who she was looking for. Then all she would need was a half-decent pilot with a working ship. Should be cake after this search.

She moved down as quietly as she could. Somewhere off to her right, the shadows shifted. She half spun, crouched in a defensive position and brought up her sword, still bearing the Stigmon.

"I heard you were looking for me," a voice from the shadows whispered, making it impossible to determine age, gender or size. Paine straightened.

"Are you Vincent Valentine?" she asked, wishing her eyes could penetrate the deep shadows of the alley. There was a long silence.

"I am."

Paine lowered her sword and crossed her arms.

"I have a job for you."

_(See! I TOLD you it wasn't done! I'm not sure when I'll get the sequel out because I need to do a little more 'research' on the characters I'll be including. I can gurantee you that there will be a bigger cast (and from different games...Xenosaga, anyone?) and plenty more adventures. So keep an eye out for 'A Cross of Swords 2', coming at you, hopefully, VERY soon._

_ Thanks again, everyone._

_ Ace Voxen_


End file.
